[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 78 (Tuesday, May 13, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E891-E893]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     PAYING TRIBUTE TO BILL O'NEILL

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN B. LARSON

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 13, 2008

  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay great 
honor to

[[Page E892]]

William A. O'Neil, who passed away on November 24, 2007. Bill O'Neill 
was Governor of the State of Connecticut from 1980 until 1991. Before 
he held Connecticut's highest office, during his Governorship, and 
after, he was a mentor and friend.
  I had the great honor to serve in Connecticut's General Assembly with 
Bill O'Neill when he was Governor of the State of Connecticut. Bill and 
Nikki O'Neill were long time friends of East Hartford. Nikki was an 
educator in my hometown of East Hartford and Bill and I shared a 
longstanding political friendship from his time in the House of 
Representatives, where he rose to majority leader, to State party 
chairman, Lieutenant Governor, and then, of course, Governor of the 
State.
  He was the embodiment of decency and humility. When my father passed 
away in 1988, Governor and Nikki O'Neill stood in line for more than 2 
hours to pay their respects. Though offered countless times to come to 
the front of the line, he said politely, ``I'll stand here with others 
who are waiting to pay their final respects.'' His actions made him 
forever revered in the Larson family and were legendary in East 
Hartford.
  It is a great honor for me to submit for the Congressional Record the 
words spoken at the funeral services of Connecticut's Governor who, 
like the sweater he wore in his television ads, made us feel 
comfortable and at home with a man who understood the everyday problems 
of the citizens he served so nobly.
  The eloquence of the funeral remarks captures the sentiment in St. 
Patrick's Church that day in East Hampton and all across Connecticut. I 
submit them as a tribute to Governor O'Neill and his loving wife Nikki. 
The following are the eulogies of Governor Jodi Rell, James Wade, 
George Hannon, and the lyrics to the song ``We'll Meet Again,'' during 
which the entire congregation joined Nikki in a final goodbye:

                In Memory of Governor William A. O'Neill

       To Nikki and to all of Governor O'Neill's family and 
     friends, on behalf of the State of Connecticut I certainly 
     want to offer our deepest condolences.
       Nikki, you and Bill were truly a team, a real team. It was 
     always Bill and Nikki, Nikki and Bill. You shared an 
     incredible love; you shared so much, including the ups and 
     downs of life and politics. You shared laughter, memories and 
     friends, and a beloved hideaway home right here. You were 
     fortunate to have each other, and to share your lives with 
     each other. And you were blessed with a great many friends, 
     true friends, real friends--not just acquaintances--that 
     became a family.
       The Governor's Irish Gang, including Wade and Hannon is 
     legendary. In fact, some of those tales told at the Capitol 
     of their exploits have become bigger and bigger. A lot of 
     them were told this week, like fish stories, they do keep 
     getting bigger and bigger with each retelling. But like all 
     of us we continue to laugh at the end of each, as if we had 
     never heard them before.
       And that's how many of us will remember Bill O'Neill, with 
     a fond smile and a little wry laughter. We will also remember 
     his humanity, his common touch, and his uncommon leadership. 
     He steadied the state at a time when its heart was broken. He 
     led us through difficult financial times and he blazed many a 
     path for equity and advancement. He made a lasting 
     contribution to our education system, our transportation 
     infrastructure, healthcare and veterans issues.
       His accomplishments were many and they were far reaching 
     and they were lasting. And he never lost himself in the glare 
     of being Governor.
       He was simply Bill O'Neill, he was someone who loved 
     politics and loved public service. A guy from East Hampton 
     who was honored to be elected to office by his friends and 
     neighbors. A guy who fiercely protected that public trust 
     throughout his entire career. He was a man of his word and he 
     was a man of integrity. Someone who too often was 
     underestimated and frankly too often underappreciated. 
     Someone who never ever dreamed of being Lieutenant Governor 
     or Governor of this great state of Connecticut, but was 
     both and was darned good at it.
       His legacy will last for generations and his successes and 
     contributions will last for longer, much longer than that. I 
     received a card this morning in my mail and it really just 
     kind of hit me and it was someone who knew Bill O'Neill 
     briefly; I just wanted to share a couple of points with you. 
     He said dear Governor Rell, I was greatly saddened with the 
     passing of Governor O'Neill this past weekend. I will never 
     forget how gracious and passionate he was during my ten years 
     as a summer tourism supervisor for the Dept. of Economic 
     Development. I remember especially an August day in 1990 when 
     I had a photo session with him, saluting my ten years with 
     the State of Connecticut as just a part timer. I remember he 
     had unusually large hands as he squeezed my right hand, the 
     bond we shared during those ten years was both real and 
     present at that moment. I only hope that I am so gracious as 
     the Governor was to me in his retiring year, just as his loss 
     is huge I salute both him and the Office of the Governor on 
     this day.
       Many people talk about Bill O'Neill just the common man, 
     here's a man who met him just once for a photo-op, shook his 
     hand, had his picture taken with him and remembers it this 
     many years later. That's the kind of man Bill O'Neill was.
       I'm just going to tell you one quick story, and I promise I 
     will never try to compete with Wade and Hannon. I had the 
     occasion to meet Governor O'Neill at an event after I was 
     sworn in as Governor; and I said to him, Nikki was there, I 
     said,``Governor, I just want to tell you, I want to apologize 
     for anything I ever said bad about you, or to you, because 
     you don't know what it's like being Governor until you're on 
     that side of the desk, and he looked at me and said, Jodi, 
     you never said anything bad about me, that I can remember. 
     And I know that you never said anything bad to me. Good 
     luck.'' And I thanked him.
       I want to say thank you to you Nikki, for sharing him with 
     us, he absolutely adored you and that is evident in his life 
     and love of you.--Governor M. Jodi Rell
                                  ____

       Bill O'Neill was not a proud person. Modest, humble, self-
     effacing--now those are words you would associate with Bill 
     O'Neill. But never proud.
       During his years as governor, his pollster, Al Unger, would 
     periodically take the pulse of the electorate to see how he 
     was doing with them. He would ask the voter, ``If you could 
     describe Bill O'Neill in a single word, what would it be?'' 
     Year after year the unsuggested responses came back: 
     ``Honest,'' ``Reliable,'' ``Trustworthy''.As Al said,``Not a 
     bad set of words to describe how you are perceived by your 
     fellow citizens.''
       Not a proud man, but what I call a ``proud of' man. By 
     that, I mean he was proud of the people, the institutions and 
     the places he served that molded his character.
       For example, Bill O'Neill was proud of being Irish. As you 
     know, his mother was born in Ireland. On some of his trips 
     there he would visit his mother's home town of Port Laiose 
     and spend time with the locals just to absorb the atmosphere 
     that helped shape his mother, her thoughts and ideas. On one 
     trip, he went to a rugby match and wound up the evening in a 
     rugby club in Limerick full of rowdy, laughing, singing rugby 
     players.O'Neill broke into a ballad called ``Til We Meet 
     Again'' in a pure tenor voice. He brought the place to 
     silence with not a dry eye in the house. Now there was a side 
     of BillO'Neill that the Connecticut public never saw.
       He was proud of being Catholic. It was a quiet, ingrained 
     faith that he did not wear on his sleeve or drag out in an 
     election year to pick up a few votes. Rather, it gave him an 
     abiding moral code which impacted his entire life and 
     decision-making process.
       And, of course, he was proud of being a Democrat. He 
     directed that every single piece of political material that 
     bore his name should also bear the title--Democrat. He saw 
     himself as being cut from the Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy, 
     Ribicoff, Grasso line of Democrats. He was fiscally 
     conservative, yet had a social conscience that led him to 
     believe the little guy should enjoy the same opportunity to 
     get ahead in life as he had. As Democratic State Chairman, 
     following the death of John M. Bailey, he personally held the 
     party together as it went through a spasm of rule changes and 
     reapportionment. And, of course, it was the climactic vote 
     before the Democratic State Central Committee whereby he was 
     re-elected State Chairman that solidified his role as a 
     political figure in his own right.
       He was proud of the state of Connecticut. He saw his fellow 
     Nutmeggers as hardworking and industrious people who would 
     follow his lead. On the campaign trail, he would repeat his 
     mantra that ``I am not a show horse, I am a work horse.'' The 
     people of Connecticut believed that because it was true and 
     returned him to office twice.
       He was proud of the Office of Governor. He believed it was 
     a mantle of trust, given to him by the people of his state 
     and that he was duty bound not only to wear that mantle with 
     distinction but to return it in as good a condition as he 
     received it. So, he was forever conscious of how his conduct 
     would reflect on that office, a consciousness that stood him 
     in good stead.
       He was proud of his accomplishments as Governor, not as 
     much for what these accomplishments said about him, but 
     because of what they meant in the daily lives of the people 
     he was elected to serve. Shelter for the homeless. A job for 
     the unemployed. Safe roads and bridges for the traveler. Care 
     for the elderly and infirm. Education for a child. A hand up. 
     Not a hand-out.
       He was proud of being a politician. He saw it as a calling 
     from which he did not shrink. For him, a politician's word 
     was his bond. He recognized that in America the people who 
     built our nation and our states were politicians. Thomas 
     Jefferson, Abe Lincoln, FDR, the people whom we revere, were 
     all politicians. And, he loved the hurly burly of politics. 
     Whether he was counting votes to gain the nomination at a 
     state convention or challenging attacks on him as a 
     candidate, O'Neill had no peer. His political instincts and 
     street savvy were dead on. And, oh, did he love a parade. 
     George Hannon used to say that a lot of men relax by playing 
     golf or watching a ball game, but, give O'Neill a parade and 
     he was happy as a clam--especially if the parade fell on 
     March 17th.
       He was proud of East Hampton. If you wanted to find the tap 
     root of Bill O'Neill, you need to look no further than this 
     community where he grew up, was educated, lived and died. His 
     little house on Lake Pocotopaug was Shangri-La as far as Bill 
     was concerned. Old Home Day was an event

[[Page E893]]

     not to be missed, regardless of his gubernatorial duties. 
     And, of course, O'Neill's Tavern was the spot where old 
     friends gathered and new friends were made.
       He was proud of the people he appointed who formed part of 
     the O'Neill administration. He did not seek to be surrounded 
     by yes men or women, but rather by people who had the 
     confidence to carry out their tasks with the knowledge that 
     they were fulfilling the O'Neill goal of providing a better 
     place for the people of Connecticut. Tony Milano, who guided 
     him through the budgetary process in good financial times and 
     bad. Bill Burns who carried out the largest highway 
     infrastructure program in the country. Jay Jackson, his 
     peerless and trusted attorney. Chad McCollam who provided 
     years of good counsel as his Chief of Staff, followed by 
     his successor, David McQuade. His loyal secretary, Anne 
     DeNoia, and the woman who ran the scheduling for the 
     governor's mansion, Ruth Sharaf, all helped shape the 
     O'Neill years. And, Tim Bannon, Tax Commissioner, speech 
     writer, advisor and office wit--all roles that Bill 
     O'Neill relied on. So many others.
       He also was proud of the prominent roles in government that 
     he filled for the first time with members of ethnic and 
     minority groups and women. Bill O'Neill appointed the first 
     female State Treasurer, the first female Attorney General, 
     the first African-American Associate Justice and the first 
     female Chief Justice to serve on the Connecticut State 
     Supreme Court. He also appointed the first Chief Justices of 
     the Supreme Court of Polish and Italian extraction. He opened 
     the door to strong and capable individuals and the doors he 
     opened will never be closed again.
       I'm not sure he was proud of George Hannon, Jack Mahaney 
     and me, but we made him laugh so he kept us around. And, 
     every now and then, we managed to get in a word of advice 
     that he actually followed. As a result of the several 
     political battles that we fought together, it can be said 
     with confidence, that the four of us became: ``We few, we 
     happy few, we band of brothers.''
       He was proud of the Troopers who drove him and protected 
     him--Rick Perdue, Jim Gaylord and Al Lane. They were the sons 
     he never had. In his final days at the Nursing Home when he 
     could not help himself, Al and Jim were there feeding him. 
     What does tell you about friendship and loyalty?
       And, finally, he was proud of his wife, Natalie--known to 
     all of us as Nikki. What a team! In every election in which 
     he ran, she was there plotting strategy, rounding up votes, 
     thanking donors and workers. Like Bill, her political sonar 
     was dead on. He listened to her, to her counsel and followed 
     her advice. He was proud of the grace and charm that she 
     shared with the people of Connecticut as its First Lady. The 
     two were a pair that couldn't be beaten--and, by the way, 
     never were.
       So, there you have it. Bill O'Neill--Reliable, Honest and 
     Trustworthy.
       And, Old Pal, because you lived your life and ran your 
     administration by that code, the people of Connecticut were 
     proud of you.
       And, if I can indulge myself in a little hubris, I am proud 
     I was able to call you my friend.--James Wade
                                  ____

       Governor Rell, Senators, Representatives, I haven't seen 
     this many politicians under one roof since an O'Neill 
     fundraiser in 1986. I'll not speak to you about the many 
     accomplishments of Bill O'Neill; they are well documented in 
     Connecticut history. I'll tell you about the Bill O'Neill I 
     met in 1967 and beyond. I refer to them as recollections and 
     reflections; 41 years ago this month Bill O'Neill was elected 
     to the Connecticut General Assembly, you couldn't miss him, 
     his tight dark curly red hair, trimmed perfectly, his cadet-
     like erectness, neat and natty of dress, except for what 
     turned out to be his favorite trademark, a hounds-tooth 
     sports jacket that contained at least 19 colors. We found out 
     over a period of years the jacket would just not wear out. 
     Some of us asked, no begged, Nikki, his wife of then four 
     years, to have the jacket burned. She just wouldn't or 
     couldn't do the deed.
       The jacket was a staple at the Capital from 1967 to 1970, 
     but as fate would have it, O'Neill and his jacket appeared in 
     a campaign photo with Gubernatorial Candidate Emilio Daddario 
     in 1970, the good news was, that 0 'Neill won reelection, the 
     bad news was that Mim didn't. Now I'm not saying that the 
     jacket had anything to do with Mim's loss, but you never 
     know.
       Bill was not a culinary trail blazer. What he wanted, Nikki 
     cooked. When asked by a few of us if he would join a small 
     group for dinner, he demurred saying, Nikki's cooking a pot 
     roast. Secretly, we kept track of his subsequent refusals. 
     They added up in one year to 87 pot roasts, 32 meatloafs, and 
     19 hot dog dinners. In 1991, after Bill and his lovely wife 
     Nikki retired to the lake, he would often call during the 
     summer and ask what Sue and I were doing for dinner. The four 
     of us would meet at the Governor's Tavern, the successor to 
     O'Neill's tavern. Now dinner and cocktails for four is not 
     very complicated, Bill made it even less complicated. When 
     menus were handed out, Nikki turned and whispered to Sue and 
     me, ``I don't know why they're giving him a menu, he orders 
     the same thing every time. A half order of tenderloin tips 
     and a side of mashed potato.'' Nikki was right, over the next 
     four years, every time we gathered, Bill would take his menu 
     and look at it from cover to cover. And then order a half 
     order of tenderloin tips and a side of mashed potatoes.
       Back in '82 during the gubernatorial campaign we hired what 
     we considered to be the best pollster and the best media 
     guru. We launched a massive number of cocktail parties, many 
     at the homes of his ardent supporters. It was an undertaking 
     that would push Bill and Nikki into multiple appearances in 
     an evening and weekends. I was asked and I won't say by whom, 
     I was asked, late in the campaign, why we needed so many 
     cocktail parties, my response was, ``because we are in an 
     aggressive and people oriented campaign''. The person shook 
     his or her head and said, ``Well, we may win the election, 
     but I hope Bill and Nikki will outlast that.'' They did and 
     O'Neill won.
       Bill has a church full of relatives, friends, admirers 
     honoring him today. I see faces in the crowd today of people 
     who served with him, those who worked for him and of course 
     his beloved people from East Hampton, who he never forgot. As 
     I express my feelings towards him, I know they are also 
     yours. He was my dear friend before he was governor, he was 
     my dear friend when he was my governor, he was my dear friend 
     after he became retired. I remember the phone would ring when 
     it was his turn to call me in Naples, and when I answered, 
     when it was him, I knew what he was going to say, ``how are 
     you old pal?''
       Men are not usually known for their long friendships with 
     other men, women do a much better job with long term 
     friendships. But I am now, and will be forever grateful and 
     touched by the relationship between Bill and me. Like all 
     celebrations, this one will end soon. Nikki, asked me to tell 
     you a brief story about Bill's favourite chanteuse, now Irish 
     kids don't get a chance to use that word, chanteuse, very 
     often. Well if you got your dictionary handy, chanteuse is a 
     singer of folk narratives with simple stanzas. Bill's 
     chanteuse of choice was a Brit, circa 1940's, her name was 
     Vera Lynn. She's best known for her rendition of ``White 
     Cliff's of Dover'' during World War II. But lesser know, and 
     Bill's favourite, was her rendition of ``We'll Meet Again''. 
     Soon, we leave this church today, remember well the simple 
     and true words of Vera Lynn, ``we'll meet again, goodbye for 
     now Bill.''--George Hannon

                            We'll Meet Again

                             (By Vera Lynn)

     We'll meet again,
     Don't know where,
     Don't know when
     But I know we'll meet again some sunny day.
     Keep smiling through,
     Just like you always do
     Till the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away

     So will you please say ``Hello''
     To the folks that I know
     Tell them I won't be long
     They'll be happy to know
     That as you saw me go
     I was singing this song

     We'll meet again,
     Don't know where
     Don't know when.
     But I know we'll meet again some sunny day.
     [We'll meet again,
     Don't know where,
     Don't know when
     But I know we'll meet again some sunny day.

     Keep smiling through
     Just like you always do,
     'Til the blue skies
     Drive the dark clouds far away
     So will you please say ``Hello''
     To the folks that I know.
     Tell them it won't be long.
     They'll be happy to know
     That as you saw me go,
     I was singin' this song.

     We'll meet again,
     Don't know where,
     Don't know when
     But I know we'll meet again some sunny day.

                          ____________________