Minnesota Law Mourns the Passing of Joseph O’Neill '56, Former Legislator, Lifelong Community-Spirited Citizen
Joseph T. O’Neill '56, a St. Paul attorney, legislator, and community leader and advocate, died on Jan. 24 at the age of 91.
O’Neill served as legal counsel in U.S. Air Force from 1956–59 in the Azores and served in the reserves after that until 1972. He practiced law in St. Paul for more than 50 years, including at O'Neill, Grills & O'Neill with his son and law partner, Michael. He served as an adjunct professor at Minnesota Law from 2004-13.
O’Neill served in the Minnesota Legislature from 1966-76, first in the House and then the Senate. His fellow Republicans elected him minority leader during his final term in the Senate in 1976.
Throughout his life, O’Neill maintained a high level of civic engagement, including serving as the chairman of the St Paul Civic Center Authority. He helped secure funding for the Xcel Arena and the NHL expansion of the Minnesota Wild in 2000. He also helped start a Legal Aid organization that was precursor to Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services (SMRLS) and served on the 1991 Final Four and Super Bowl committees. He was active in the Jaycees, where he was named outstanding chapter president.
His life’s motto was "Community Service is the rent you pay as a citizen."
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Joseph T. O'Neill '56