Rory Michael O'Neil

Dr. Rory Michael O'Neil passed away on April 2, 2024 in Austin, Texas and has gone "Onward through the fog!" one last time at the age of 67. Rory was born November 12, 1956 in West Point, New York as the seventh of eight O'Neil children. As part of such a large military family, he spent his childhood globetrotting with many rambunctious stories from the countries he lived in and visited along the way. He always held a certain soft spot for Taiwan, speaking fondly of his time on Grass Mountain and passionately advocating for Taiwanese rights throughout his life. Rory graduated high school in Stuttgart, Germany, at 16, made his way to Florida, missed the bus after "a little too much party" on the beach and hitchhiked to Texas where he ultimately started his career in science and spent most of his adult life. He graduated from The University of Texas at Austin in 1978 with a degree in Biological Sciences. He then earned his Masters and Doctorate degrees in Botany, specializing in Phycology. He later went on to teach and conduct research at the University of Houston, UTEX Culture Collection of Algae, and UMGC Misawa along with many visiting scientist engagements. Rory returned to San Antonio to care for his aging parents, taking them to weekly mass at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament. Rory enjoyed skiing, music, the environment, a good coupon, a cold Dr. Pepper, and the pursuit of lifelong education. He enjoyed sharing many of his passions with his two daughters and was the master of odd gifts - when a football was met with confusing looks by his girls, a bread maker took its place. He often planned elaborate road-trips and many summers were spent on month-long excursions to over 20 states and two Canadian provinces (in a Geo Metro of all cars). Science was also a common ground in his family, and Rory spent many days with his children at the Houston Zoo (where he volunteered as a docent), the Houston Museum of Natural Science as well as dozens of state and national parks. One of Rory's fondest memories and claim to fame was starring in a Lone Star Beer commercial. He is preceded in death by his parents, Col. Donald and Mary Ann O'Neil and brother Terrence "Terry" O'Neil. He is survived by his children, Bonnie and Molly (Zach) as well as his six siblings and countless nieces and nephews. The last sparkles in his eyes belonged to his cat, Fishsticks, and his granddaughters, Ellie and Nora. A celebration of life will be held at a later date this May. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in his name to Girlstart, a local non-profit dedicated to empowering girls in science, technology, engineering, and math. https://give.girlstart.org/

Rory Michael O'Neil

November 12, 1956 - April 2, 2024