Frances Elaine O’Neill (née Wickham) of West Chester PA (originally from Philadelphia) passed away peacefully on Tuesday, December 2, 2020 at the age of 93.
Frances, better known as “Babe” to her family, was the daughter of Frances (Ball) and Thomas Wickham of Philadelphia and sister of Ruth (Wickham) Cionci (Jerry) and the late Thomas (Larry) Wickham. Frances attended Little Flower High School was married to her high school sweetheart from Roman Catholic High School, the late James O’Neill Sr, who was a Lieutenant with the Philadelphia Police Department. They raised their three children Jim, Maureen and Colleen in Mayfair.
Fran was an elegant lady who took pride in her appearance. She liked to have her hair, nails, and make up just so, and loved shopping for clothes. She always looked neat and trim, despite her sweet tooth for cake and frappes!
Fran was proud of her Irish heritage. She truly enjoyed celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. She delighted in Irish music, and rIght up to the end she could still sing the words to “When Irish Eyes are Smiling.”
Fran’s favorite place was the Jersey shore, where she spent many happy family vacations. She could sit on the beach and watch the ocean for hours. She had many enjoyable times with her husband, Jim O’Neill; her sister Ruth Cionci (Jerry); her sister-in-law Mary O’Brien (Obie) and her brothers- in-laws Pete (Teresa); Joe (Ida) and Bros (Mary) O’Neill. They had many sing-alongs during those “wild, wild, wildwood days”!
Most of all, Fran will be remembered as a kind, caring, and loving person to all who knew her. She was so proud of the accomplishments of her children, grandchildren, and extended family, and took great joy in bragging about them. Fran and Jim never missed the opportunity to attend the sporting events of their grandchildren. She had a keen interest in everyone’s lives, and was always eager to hear stories and make new friends.
Frances is survived by her children James Jr (Linda), Maureen (Tom) and Colleen. She will be dearly missed by her grandchildren Kelly (Matt), James (Amanda), Kevin, Katie, Stephen and Ricky and her great granddaughter Harper Elizabeth.
The family would like to thank the nurses and care staff at Willow Tree Hospice and Parklane Nursing Home for their love and support over the past two years. Their kindness meant so much to Fran and our family, especially during the quarantine period of 2020. Thank you for all the FaceTime calls you assisted with so that Fran could always see and talk to her family.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters, Convent of Divine Love, 2212 Green Street, Philadelphia, Pa 19130-3197 or to Sister Susan O’Neill, Daughters of Charity, 96 Menands Rd, Albany, NY 12204
Frances will be buried at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery on Wednesday December 9, 2020 at 11:45 am.
