PEGGIE O'NEILL

SUPER MOM, BUSINESSWOMAN AND PHILANTHROPIST

"I love you more today than yesterday" was a phrase Peggie heard each time her grandchildren walked in the room. She repeated this ritual back to them to remind them of her love for them and the power of professing it often. Peggie was Born May 4, 1935 to J. Eustace Wolfington and Mary Margaret [nee Hayden] Wolfington. Peggie was nicknamed "Muz" by her six sons, 16 grandchildren and over 200 cousins. Peggie attended Our Lady of Lourdes Parochial School, Country Day School of the Sacred Heart, and Maryville College of the Sacred Heart in St. Louis, Missouri. She also studied at St. Joseph's University and St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. Peggie entered the Sacred Heart Convent, but left to pursue a family. Peggie was an extraordinary singer with an operatic voice.

Peggie had six boys with her husband Frank O'Neill whom she married on January 11, 1958: Frank, Brian, Joe, Mike, Bill and Vince. Peggie insisted her sons work hard to pursue their dreams. While consistently motivating them to succeed, she demanded that they conduct themselves in a kind, Christian and gentlemanly manner. Peggie strictly enforced the standards she held her sons to. She always wished she had a few daughters. "I always wanted girls, but ended up with six wonderful boys, troublesome boys at times, but always wonderful! I always worried about my boys. I prayed and prayed for them to come home alive, call home more often, or go back to school, etc. But when I began to love them exactly as they were, they succeeded more and I found peace in my heart." Her sons have had great success in real estate, the Marines, the FBI and the culinary arts. Despite the fact that they live in various parts of the country, Peggie always found time to be with them. Pep talks at 5:00 in the morning and cross country flights just for dinner were common events. Peggie has four daughters-in-law and sixteen grandchildren. Peggie loved her daughters-in-law like the daughters she never had often saying, "I couldn't have picked them better myself." Peggie loved her grandchildren and found every excuse in the book to be with them including the planning of parties for every event she could celebrate.

Peggie had an extraordinary professional career including working as a life underwriter and sales representative with the Equitable Life Insurance Company. Peggie also owned a consulting company specializing in real estate and leadership training. Peggie worked with her brother Eustace at Half-A-Car as a national sales and marketing consultant to the Ford Motor Company. She co-founded the Half-A-Car University with Eustace, which taught Ford and GM dealers to elevate their customer experience, loyalty, and relationships. Thousands of GM and Ford dealers and their employees graduated from the Half-A-Car University, significantly increasing sales and profits in every aspect of their dealership. Peggie consulted for Mike and Brian O'Neill in their respective real estate organizations in sales, human resources and business management. Peggie created and hosted the TV talk show, "Passionate Leaders and Powerful People," where she interviewed leaders of all walks of life in the northeast.

Despite having an active business and family life, Peggie also was extraordinarily active in charitable and civic organizations. In 1968, when abortion became a forefront issue, Peggie helped create "Birth Right," a national organization designed to offer help to mothers who chose giving birth instead of abortion. Peggie opened thirteen Birth Right centers and helped thousands of young women bring children into the world. Despite her pro-life beliefs, Peggie insisted that no one should ever judge a mother for her life choices. "My job was to help all women in need." Peggie also founded Prayer Power, which enlisted thousands of Catholics to pray and help members of the priesthood and other catholic leaders. Peggie founded The Living Vineyards Prayer Community and served on the board of Birth Right, St. Edmund's Home for Children, Sacred Heart, The President's Council of St. Joseph's University, Our Lady of Lourdes, Prayer Power and countless other organizations. Peggie received the Papal Cross from Pope John Paul, II, the Philo Patron Women's Award from St. John Neumann, the Country Day School of the Sacred Heart Outstanding Alumni Award, the Ford Motor Company Robert Rewey Excellence Award for outstanding leadership, and was inducted into the CYO Hall-of-Fame. Peggie also founded "Courage of One," a peace movement.

Peggie was a three-time cancer survivor for over 25 years and finally succumbed to bladder cancer after a three-year battle. During this period of her deteriorating health, Peggie made a number of public speeches to raise awareness of the disease and the importance to maintain a peaceful environment, as a mother, businesswoman, philanthropist, wife, and cancer survivor. Despite her hectic schedule and life's challenges, Peggie wrote two books during the final years of her life, "Juggle without Struggle," which is currently being published and "Peg," an autobiography co-authored by Beth Leibson. Peggie passed away peacefully on September 17, 2011.

Peggie is survived by her husband Frank O'Neill, her six sons, four daughters-in-law Ione, Jeannie, Miriam, and Alice, sixteen grandchildren, and seven brothers and sisters, Eustace, Mary Q, Martie, Harry, Vincent, Guy, and Alex.

The viewing will be Thursday, September 22, 2011 from 6 PM to 9 PM, with a viewing Friday, September 23 from 8:30 AM to 10 AM, followed by the Mass of Christian Burial. Both will be held at St. Thomas of Villanova Church, 800 Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA 19085, with interment at Calvary Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania, 399 S. 34th Street, 9 Penn Tower, Philadelphia, PA 19104 or Prayer Power c/o Pamela Wright at 700 S. Henderson Road, Suite 202, King of Prussia, PA 19406.