Lee William O’Neil

Lee William O’Neil

May 1, 1943 - April 24, 2021

BRUSH, Colo. — Lee William O’Neil, 77, of Brush, went home to Jesus on Saturday, April 24, 2021.

Lee was born May 1, 1943, at St. Catherine’s Hospital in McCook, Neb., to Gilbert “Pat” and Kathleen (Clifford) O’Neil. In 1945, the small family made northeastern Colorado their home and resided in Anton, Colo. Lee spent his childhood hunting and helping his Dad with the farming. He spent his elementary school years in Harrisburg, a one-room school near Anton.

In 1957, he started high school at St. Joseph’s Military Academy in Hayes, Kan. There he began a long career in competitive shooting, serving as captain of the ROTC rifle team. He traveled with the team to many parts of the country to compete in rifle matches. After high school, he attended Colorado State University (CSU), where he achieved a degree in animal husbandry and was captain of the CSU ROTC Rifle Team. After graduating from CSU, Lee started a hog farm south of Akron while serving six years in the Army National Guard.

With that, and farming with his father, he had little time to travel or shoot in competitions. He did not return to the competitive shooting ranges for 22 years, once again winning matches all over the nation and winning multiple high-power and smallbore silhouette National championships. Among his accomplishments, in 1999 he won both the high-power standard and hunter riffle silhouette championships, which has only ever been achieved by three or four shooters. Additionally, Lee won five gold medals at the World Silhouette Championships in Brisbane, Australia.

Lee spent most of his life farming in Washington County while residing in Akron. In 1972, he moved to Brush, where in addition to his farming, he began a career in real estate sales and property appraisal and maintained a business office in Brush for more than 45 years. More recently, cattle ranching became part of the O’Neil Farm.

He married Rickie Allen in 1967 and twin daughters were born in 1971.

In 1981, Lee married Terry Maple and became stepfather to Kerry Anderson and Sherry Chesmore.

Lee enjoyed a very adventurous life that included big game hunting, shooting and flying his private plane, as well as obtaining his flight instructor certification. Lee was a benefactor member of the NRA and a member of the Moose and Elks Lodges. Lee enjoyed his daily routine of checking the commodities, going to the Home Plate for meals, to his office, the farm and watching his Fox News in the evenings. Lee also enjoyed spending some time at the Moose Lodge with his cronies. Lee enjoyed spending time with his daughters and grandchildren in Arizona for holidays and shooting matches and enjoyed their visits to Colorado working on making them farm girls. Lee was well known for his generosity and community support, and he was loved by many.

Lee was preceded in death by his parents, Pat and Kathleen O’Neil, and he is survived by his daughters, Erin (Joel Cullum) Peoria, Ariz., Erica (George Kenner), Glendale, Ariz.; grandchildren, Molly, Sidney, and Morgan Willingham, step-grandchildren, Justin (Michaela Cullum), Nichole Cullum, Aaron (Mackenzie Kenner), Ali (Dylan Olson), and great-grandchildren, Easton Cullum, Danaley Olson, and Luna Kenner; his two sisters, Patricia (Scott Barton), Rita Decker (Ken LaFlamme); and one brother, Kent O’Neil (Betty O’Neil).

Services will be May 7, 2021, at 10:30 a.m., at the Platte Valley Baptist Church, 22750 US-34, Fort Morgan, CO 80701. A reception to follow is at the Moose Lodge, 2310 Edison Street, Brush, CO 80723

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the National MS Society at 900 S. Broadway, Suite 250, Denver, CO 80209, or online at Nationalmssociety.org/donate.