Keith Colin O’Neil Sr., born on May 3, 1948 in Georgetown, Guyana, to Hubert O’Neil and Eulah Taylor, passed away on January 20, 2021 in Columbia, Maryland at Howard County Hospital after a long struggle with cancer.
His humble beginnings as the son of a miner, Hubert O’Neil, and the early passing of his mother, Eulah Taylor, impacted the roots of his foundation. Keith was raised by his grandparents, Edwin and Maude Taylor for the majority of his adolescent and young adult years. As an adolescent and adult, he learned from, was inspired by, and continued to honor and revere his grandparents and the lessons of life that they instilled; by absorbing these lessons and imparting them to his children, grandchildren, and countless others.
Keith’s training and experience as a police officer and mechanic in British Guyana traveled with him as he emigrated to the United States where he sought a life of opportunity. He continued his journey as a mechanic, following his dream of college while raising a family in Brooklyn, N.Y. Long nights of hard work rewarded him an A.A.S in Electrical Technology and a B.S. in Computer Science. He eventually settled in Wappingers Falls, N.Y. in 1977, where he proudly accepted an offer from IBM East Fishkill as an Equipment Maintenance Trainee. Keith retired from IBM on April 30, 2009 as an Advisory Engineer. His 32 years of service to the IBM community enhanced his personal knowledge and growth, while feeding his intelligence quotient; resulting in a body of work for IBM which included pivotal and transformative designs, creations, and patents.
As a son, grandson, husband, brother, father, grandfather, uncle, cousin, nephew, friend, and mentor his greatest gifts were his relevant talks, curiosity, advice, inquiring mind, riddles, jokes, insight, simple joys, ability to create and design, the importance of listening, confidence, and the teaching of ‘you are enough’. As a mentor, he inspired one to believe, work hard, have high expectations, be confident and keep learning. Family and friends describe him as wise, intelligent, thought provoking, magnanimous, exacting, studious, gentle, giving, introspective, dedicated, supportive, caring, thoughtful, kind, loving, respectful, a good friend, humanistic and one with the smiling eyes.
Keith Sr. was a loyal, loving and giving husband to Esther O’Neil and a proud father to Keith O’Neil Jr. and Sonia Jean-Baptiste. One of his greatest joys was his interactions with his grandchildren Kyle (deceased), Kelsey, Mathias, Quinn, Eliot, Keely, and Drew. Throughout his life journey, he maintained a strong connection of love and care with his siblings Barbara Mapp, Julian O’Neil (deceased), Ingrid Pilgrim, Patricia Rogers, nieces & nephews, David King & Family, William (Bill) Cobbett & Family, The Ishmael Family, Cecil Prince & Family, Abdullah Lawal & Barbara Prince, Alister & Genevieve Rice, Claudette Johnson (deceased), Shaundell & Winifred Johnson, Dana & Melanie Prince and countless other family & friends.
His words and life lessons, will be his legacy, learned at the knees of his grandparents and during his journey of life; to be remembered, with clarity, in a moment of need.
Keith is survived by wife Esther, children Keith Jr., Kristin DeCou, Sonia, Serge Jean-Baptiste, grandchildren Kelsey, Mathias, Quinn, Eliot, Keely, Drew, sisters Ingrid, Barbara, Patricia, nieces Geneva, Cynthia, Bonita, Esther, Paula, Kai-Ama, nephews Jamal, Waynewright, Mark, Sean, grandnephews Keenan, Akeen, Shacoby, James, Jaden, Mason, Joshua, Rawle Jr., Jafar, Davanty, Jaden, Obadiah, Junior, grandnieces Madison, Akeyla, Alana, Janira, Hannah, Jamila, great-grandchildren Lavontae, cousins David, in-laws Barbara, Abdullah, Genevieve, Alister, Edward Sr., Deborah, Dana, Shaundell, Winifred, Melanie, Nurudeen, Dana, Lorraine, Cameal, George, Edward Jr., Travis, Kwesi, Phillip, Nicholas, Gary, Margaret, countless family and friends worldwide.
Donations to: Sarcoma Foundation of America https://www.curesarcoma.org
“You are better than no man, and you are less than no man.” – Maude Taylor (Grandmother)
