With deep sadness , Warren County notes the death of Warren County Surrogate Kevin M . O ' Neill . Elected in 2010 , Mr . O ' Neill was in his third term as surrogate at the time of his passing .
   During his career as a public servant , Mr . O ' Neill brought a sense of professionalism to his office but also great compassion to everyone who came through the door , understanding that most people when they came to his office were experiencing terrible grief .   He personally spoke with nearly every applicant coming to the Surrogate Court , treating them with sympathy and understanding .
   Under his leadership , many of the surrogate’s procedures were modernized and computerized and he was able to reorganized the office to reduce staff .   He supervised the move of the Surrogate’s offices from the Warren County Courthouse to its current location on Front Street .
   Most of all , he loved engaging with the public . He spoke to civic and church groups on a regular basis to educate them on the importance of communicating their wishes through wills , powers of attorney and advanced directives . He also was a fixture at the Warren County Farmers ' Fair in county government ' s Warren County and You building , communicating with the public as to how the Surrogate’s Office could assist them . He performed more than 150 weddings at a time when many public officials no longer were doing weddings .
   The Board of County Commissioners will mark Mr . O ' Neill ' s passing with a moment of silence in his honor at the April 27 , 2022 meeting .  
   Following is his obituary , which also can be found on the
   Cochrane Funeral Home website
    .  
   Kevin M . O’Neill – consummate family man , Warren County Surrogate , and former Realtor , local businessman and teacher – died peacefully at home , Sunday , April 24 , 2022 , in Hackettstown , N . J . He was 76 .
   Kevin was born September 8 , 1945 , in Bayonne , N . J . , and lived in Hackettstown his entire life except for a stint in Germany when he was in the Army . He attended St . Mary’s School and graduated from Hackettstown High School in 1963 , where he competed in track , basketball and football . He graduated from Providence College in 1967 with a bachelor’s in English , and took great pride in seeing alma mater advance through the NCAA basketball tournament .
   Upon graduating from Providence , O’Neill taught English and coached football and wrestling at West Morris Central High School in Chester . His teaching career was interrupted by two years in the U . S . Army in Europe , where he was a special weapons technician . In 1972 , O’Neill left teaching and entered real estate , where he spent the next 38 years . Well known in local real estate circles , he was the recipient of numerous industry awards and sold some 1 , 200 homes in his career .
   In 2010 , O’Neill was elected Warren County Surrogate and was serving in his third term at the time of his death . O’Neill was very active in the community , holding leadership positions in the Rotary , the PTA , the Bi - Centennial Celebration , the Chamber of Commerce , the hospital foundation , and others , particularly at Church of the Assumption . He served on two Boards of Education , Hackettstown and Warren Tech . In 2012 , he took great pride in being named Grand Marshal for the Hackettstown St . Patrick’s Day Parade .
   In 1970 , O’Neill married the love of his life , the former Mary Leneé Fiedler of Hackettstown . Together they raised three wonderful children: Jennifer Lynne O’Neill ( Alejandro Pieroni ) of New Brunswick , January Leneé O’Neill of Hackettstown , and Jared Matthew O’Neill ( Robyn ) of Hackettstown . Great joy also came with four grandchildren: Anna Mae Bizzozero , Ella Grace Bizzozero , Gustavo Pieroni , and Archer Moon O’Neill .
   Kevin was predeceased by his parents Jane P . O’Neill ( nee Quinn ) and Cornelius J . O’Neill , Jr . , and his twin sister Jane Quinn O’Neill . In addition , O’Neill is survived by four siblings: Cornelius J . “Tex” O’Neill Ill ( Eleanor ) , James P . O’Neill ( Lynn ) , Regina K . Judge ( her late husband Peter ) , and Eileen H . Carson ( John ) . There are numerous nieces , nephews and cousins … in particular , Ed Palmer and Dick Burke .
   The funeral service will take place Friday , April 29 , 2022 , at 10:30 a . m . at Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Hackettstown . Burial will take place at Pequest Union Cemetery , Great Meadows , N . J . , following the service . A memorial visitation will be Thursday , April 28 , 2022 , from 4 to 8 p . m . at Cochran Funeral Home , 905 High Street , Hackettstown .
   In lieu of flowers , please consider making a donation to the charity of your choice in Kevin’s memory .
    
    
   
   

Press release information:

Direct link to press release: Click here .

Keywords and search queries from search engines related to the press release :