In Memory of Perley Joseph O’Neil
In memory of Perley Joseph O’Neil
Retired RCMP Staff Sgt. 37+ years
Reg # 23632
1945 – 2024
November 27, 2024
With our deepest sorrow, we announce the passing of Perley O’Neil, on November 27, 2024 with his beloved wife Agnes Anne, of 55 years by his side. Dear father of Dwayne (Lisa) and Jeremy (Amber). Proud grandfather of Justin (Brodie), Matthew, Carter and Cayleigh and great grandfather of Magalie and Walker. Survived by his brother Gerald (Doreen), predeceased by parents Jeremiah and Elizabeth and sister Margaret. Perley also leaves behind many nieces and nephews, family and dear friends.
The O’Neil family wishes to extend a special thank you to the staff at the Montfort, Bruyere and Civic hospitals and the Home and Community Care Support Services team for all of their support provided over the last few years.
Friends and family are invited to visit at the Heritage Funeral Complex 1250 Trim Road, Orleans on Sunday, December 1st from 2:00pm to 4:00pm and 7:00pm to 9:00pm. A memorial Mass will be held at the Divine Infant Church, 6658 Bilberry Drive, Orleans on Monday, December 2nd at 11:00am. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Heart and Stroke Foundation or the Canadian Cancer society would be greatly appreciated.
~ We will forever miss the Greatest Husband, Father, Grandfather Great Grandfather. ~ Poppy ❤️
Perley was a positive influence to countless people in this world, both during his time as a police officer, and afterwards as a father, grandfather, and great grandfather. Those of us that had the pleasure of crossing paths with him will always remember his infectious whit, his storytelling abilities, and general love of life. We are all fortunate to have known him. Rest in Peace, Perley.
We were deeply saddened to hear of Pearly’s passing. You are all in our thoughts and prayers, with deepest, heartfelt sympathy.
RCMP for many years. Thank you for your service.
Ernie, Jenna and I extend our deepest condolences
Dear Anne, Dwayne, Jeremy, and Family,
It is with deep and heartfelt sadness that we extend our sincerest condolences to you during this time of profound loss. Please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you as you navigate this tremendous grief.
The memories we share together will forever hold a special place in our hearts. Perley’s kindness, warmth, and larger-than-life spirit touched so many lives and will never be forgotten. His dedication and service as a great police officer were a testament to his courage, integrity, and unwavering commitment to protecting and serving others.
May you find comfort in the love of family and friends, and strength in the beautiful memories we all hold dear.
With all our love and deepest sympathy,
Jack, Nadine, and Family
Perley was always someone I looked up to, when he came home to Bathurst on vacation it was interesting to hear some of the stories he would tell about his many different duties in the RCMP. He was a great roll model to many.
Condolences to The family. May he rest in peace.
We are thinking of you in this time of loss. You are all in our thoughts and prayers, with deepest, heartfelt sympathy.
I will pray for you, all my love, Shirley
Ann and family – Pierre and I are so sorry to hear of Perley’s passing. He was such a nice man. We will keep you all in our prayers.
Anne, Dwayne and Jeremy my thoughts are with you as you gather to celebrate the life of Perley. Anne I have such wonderful memories of our time together in Bathurst and in CapeBreton. I know the past few years have been difficult but now he is at peace and free of the pain and limitations he has experienced. I will keep all of you in my prayers at this difficult time
Anne and family I wish to express my condolences on your loss. We will keep you in our thoughts and prayers. I had the opportunity to work with Perley and see the great depth of his knowledge and experience as both a police officer and a person. His service will be appreciated for years to come. RIP
Sending my deepest condolences to you Anne, Dwayne, and Jeremy, and to your families. Thinking of you all at this difficult time….may Perley rest and peace. His memory will always be present in the hearts of all those who got to know and love him, he was a great influence to many…
Dear Agnes and family,
This is very sad news. I had the pleasure of working with Perley in the Commissioner’s Audit and Evaluation team in the 1990’s and he was a mentor to me, indeed to all of us. I know, and you know in your heart of hearts, he will be conspicuous in his absence from your lives but I hope and pray you can take comfort in knowing Perley was what we all aspired to be in the Force. A gentleman, a professional and someone we all looked up to. God rest your soul Perley. Remembered with admiration.
Jack Briscoe
Ann and family, I am deeply saddened by the loss of Perley. Perley and I worked together on the Commissioner’s Audit Team and he was a good friend and provided me with excellent advice and guidance so many times. We had many trips together and a fun guy to be with.
Please accept our Condolences, Alex and Bev
Anne, to you and your extended family, please accept our condolences on the loss of your loved one. I have fond memories of Perley who I came to know as a young 19 year old recruit just out of training, In the Spring of 1973, I was transferred to Baie Verte, Newfoundland with very little knowledge of where I was headed or what I was to expect. Upon arrival, I was advised that Perley would be tasked with showing me the ropes of what rural policing in a small town in Newfoundland was all about. Needs to say, he was a patient and caring individual who instilled in me, the characteristics and traits that allowed me not only to become a better policeman but also moulded me into a better person. Rest assured Perley will alway have place in my heart and I will always appreciated what he did for me in those early years. I am truly fortunate for having known Perley and having had the opportunity to call him a friend.
Anne, Dwayne, Jeremy and family. Please accept condolences from Pam and I on the passing of Perley. He was a great colleague, mentor and friend who had such a positive influence on so many of us younger members who had the pleasure of working with him. He was a big man with a huge heart and a laugh to go with it. Rest in Peace Perl.
Dear Anne and family. I am so sorry for your loss. I transferred to St Johns in the early 70’s and Perley was one of the first members I met. I was in awe of his presence and of the way he managed his team. He represented the very best of all that public service and the Force stands for and brought it to his job every day. He will be missed by all, none more than you.
Gary Bass
To: Anne, Dwayne, Jeremy and families
We were so sorry to hear of Perley’s passing. We have many fond memories of Perley and you while living in Baie Verte.
My first trip off the island was when I went to Bathurst NB with Perley. Louise and I have talked about our friendship with you many times. You guys were like a brother and sister to us. To the boys and their families your dad was a wonderful man.
We will be thinking about you all and keeping you in our prayers.
God bless
Ralph and Louise
To: Mrs. O’Neil, Dwayne, Jeremy & family
I am so sorry to hear of Mr. O’Neil’s passing, Mom and Dad have always spoke about him and you all often and how you have always been like family. I know I was really young when we moved away, but I have never forgotten about you all over the years. Dad has told me many stories and the wonderful times that he had the privilege of spending time together. Time passes by so fast and I only wish that I would have had the opportunity to see you all again.
Take care of each other and hold dear to your precious memories. Mr. O’Neil was a wonderful man and we are truly blessed to have known him.
You are in my thoughts and prayers, as you go through this difficult time.
Sending lots of love and hugs
Sherry King
Fort McMurray, AB
Rest in peace Perly, you were good man brother in law and so many good memories. Over the many years. You were so good and loved my Sister Ann your beautiful wife and your family. and if I had a question or help you were there and all the people in your line of work. God bless
Anne, Dwayne, Jeremy & Family,
Words cannot express our grief of Perley’s passing, but it sure helps to relieve the sadness. He was a great co-worker, boss, motivator and most of all a friend. We worked hard together and yes, we partied hard especially on hockey trips. He was always there when someone needed help. He loved the RCMP but that was his second love because his first love was his family. Our thoughts will be about the fond memories that our families shared together.
Anne – our sincere sympathy to you and all your family. We always enjoyed our visits and conversations with Perley. He will be sorely missed by many.
I can only state that Judy and I are so very sorry to hear of Pearly’s passing. Pearly left such a profound impression on every person he ever met, whether professionally, or personally. I was extremely fortunate to have had Pearly as an operations NCO when I was a very junior member of the Force. Pearly was a natural leader with phenomenal policing knowledge, coupled with a personality that made others attempt to emulate and aspire to. Myself, and other members continue to speak of Pearly, in glowing terms, relative to the impression he left on us throughout our careers. Judy and I were fortunate to rekindle our personal relationship, with Pearly and Anne, years later in Ottawa where we had many fond memories spending time with them there. Pearly was a man of consummate integrity and would go out of his way for a friend (or others) in need. No one loved to laugh more than Pearly as he found humour in most situations (often initiated by himself) and his distinct laugh, in itself, made the rest of us laugh. It was always evident that Pearly’s family was definitely his pride and joy, all of whom he was extremely proud. Pearly’s passing is definitely a reminder of a life well lived and leaves the rest of us in admiration of a man who many of us looked up to for many, many years. Judy and I send hugs and sincerest condolences to Anne, Dwayne, Jeremy, and families. His passing will certainly be noted by the many people Pearly touched both personally and professionally.
Anne, Dwayne, Jeremy and your families, please accept our condolences. Perley was admired by so many of us…someone to look up to and someone to aspire to be like. I know you will miss him but I also know you are grateful for the blessing to have had him.
I recently discovered a quote from a Christian author, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, that you may find comforting.
“There is NOTHING that can replace the absence of someone dear to us, and one should never attempt to do so. One must simply hold out and endure it. At first that sounds very hard, but at the same time it is also a great comfort. For to an extent the emptiness truly remains unfilled one remains connected to the other person through it. It is wrong to say that God fills the emptiness. God in no way fills it but much more leaves it precisely unfilled and thus helps us to preserve – even in pain – the authentic relationship. Furthermore, the more beautiful and full the remembrances, the more difficult the separations. But gratitude transforms the torment of memory into silent joy. One bears what was lovely in the past not as a thorn but a precious gift deep within, a hidden treasure of which one can always be certain.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Dwayne and Lisa and families, we are so sorry to hear about Perley. It’s never easy losing a parent, no matter how old we are. We are thinking of you all and sending hugs your way Love Laurie and Paul.
My most sincere condolences to Anne and all the family. I had the pleasure of working with Perley in Corner Brook, Newfoundland and he was an educator, motivator and role model for me as a junior member. He always took time to pass on his vast knowledge and experience to other police officers who were willing to learn. He was one of the best and most genuine police officers I worked with in 35+ years service. May you rest in peace Perley. Stand easy!!!!
We were deeply saddened with the passing of our dear brother in law. Even though Perley is gone, the memories my family and I made with him will last forever. He was a wonderful person and we always felt very fortunate to have him as part of our family. We will always cherish the guidance and support he provided us over the years as well as the numerous enjoyable moments we spent together. You will be missed but never forgotten. May you rest in peace.
Anne, our thoughts and prayers to you and the family at this difficult time
Robert and Liz McCrimmon
Dear Anne, Dwayne, Jeremy and family.
Please accept our dearest condolences concerning Perley’s passing. We have fond memories of the many hours, days, weeks and years our families spent together in Clarenville Detachment NFLD, St. John’s Drug Section and Ottawa. Perley was a great, ambitious, successful policeman, boss, manager and friend. He loved the Force and its members. He was a super role model for his employees both men and women. He was a great help to me in my career of 30 years. He was a huge loss to the Force when he retired and with his passing is a huge loss to his family and many friends. He will be missed.
CY, Helen, Shawn and Christa O’Quinn
Anne, Dwayne, and Jeremy, I’m so sorry to hear about your dad’s passing. We are sharing your sadness today and sending all our love and heartfelt sympathy. Please accept my deepest condolences to you and your mom during this difficult time.
I have such fond memories of your dad from all the times we shared in Clarenville, St. John’s, and Orleans. I remember the big Suburban he drove in Clarenville, loading firewood, the Christmas parties, and him helping us deliver newspapers in St. John’s. Those family get-togethers and parties are cherished memories that will always bring a smile to my face.
Love, Shawn, Sherry, Shay & Kensie
Deepest condolences go out to all family members. While this is a sad day, be assured Perley’s exceptional legacy will forever be remembered by all family members, friends and work colleagues. He is a legend in “B” Div. RCMP, (Newfoundland and Labrador) and you can be assured many citizens will have fond memories as well.
Our most sincere condolences to the family. Perley was well known in “B” Division as a very effective operational member as well as a manager and mentor to members generally.. He will certainly be missed by many but in particular by family.
Anne, Dwayne and Jeremy. It is indeed with deep sadness that I learned this evening of Perley’s passing. I have very fond memories of our years in Labrador. As a police officer Perley was an accomplished, knowledgeable leader and a gentleman whom we all looked up to. He was highly respected and admired for his sincere manner and the way he could bring out the best in people. He made everyone feel important, each one as an integral member of the team in meeting the challenges we faced. He was right there with us when serious situations arose. Perley’s great sense of humor was certainly enhancing at social occasions. I will always feel greatly privileged to have had such a great friend and mentor as Perley O’Neil. One could always sense the love and admiration he had for his family, he spoke of you often. I will never forget his phone call to me when my wife Betty passed away. Perley was one of the best, may God bless Perley and keep him.