[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 85 (Tuesday, May 19, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E463]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF NATALIE ``NIKKI'' (DAMON) O'NEILL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOE COURTNEY

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 19, 2026

  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to mourn the passing of a lifelong 
public servant, Mrs. Natalie ``Nikki'' (Damon) O'Neill. Mrs. O'Neill 
passed away on Monday, May 18, 2026, at age 90, surrounded by her close 
friends. She will be sincerely missed and long remembered for her 
humility, down-to-earth demeanor, decades of service as an elementary 
school teacher, and commitment as First Lady to former Governor of 
Connecticut William O'Neill.
  Born in Leominster, Massachusetts to Alice and George Damon, Mrs. 
O'Neill was raised alongside her brother, George, Jr., and graduated 
from Leominster High School in 1954. She pursued higher education, 
graduating from the University of New Hampshire in 1958 with a Bachelor 
of Science, and continuing graduate studies at Worcester State 
Teacher's College, Boston University, University of Hanford, and the 
University of Connecticut. She met her husband, Korean War Air Force 
Veteran William ``Bill'' O'Neill, at a party in East Hampton. They 
married on December 1, 1962, in her hometown.
  Mrs. O'Neill dedicated herself to public service, beginning her 
teaching career in Ashby, Massachusetts and East Hartford, Connecticut 
for two additional years. She continued her passion for teaching 
schoolchildren as a fifth-grade teacher at East Hampton Center School 
for 21 years. Over the years, East Hampton became their hometown. Her 
beloved husband, William, served as a state representative in 1966 and 
later became lieutenant governor to Governor Ella T. Grasso. When 
Governor Grasso resigned due to ill health, Bill took over to finish 
out her term and Nikki wholeheartedly committed herself to serve as 
First Lady alongside him. Although she left her years of formal 
teaching behind, in this new role she visited schools across the state, 
encouraging children to read, and attended career days, school plays, 
and concerts.
  Her decade and a day of service as First Lady of Connecticut were 
marked by her consistent leadership in civic, cultural, and charitable 
efforts. She served on the advisory board of the Special Olympics and 
the Connecticut College Children's Cancer Fund, among her many other 
positions of leadership. She also utilized the Executive residence to 
patron the arts, displaying over 500 books authored by 200 Connecticut 
writers, displaying local artists' works, and allowing 118 charities 
and organizations to host events in her home.
  Mrs. O'Neill's role in the success of her husband's tenure as 
Governor of Connecticut was irreplaceable. She believed in true loyalty 
and gave her full allegiance to her husband throughout and beyond his 
career as Governor. Her work and dedication allowed Governor O'Neill to 
flourish in his role. O'Neill's ten years of service as governor were 
characterized by protecting and expanding the rights of his 
constituents; he made indelible impact on the towns comprising the 2nd 
Congressional District. He provided additional resources for 
individuals with physical and developmental disabilities, began the 
Governor's Care and Share program which involved state employees in 
collecting food during the holidays for those in need, and advocated 
for the Veteran's cemetery in Middletown. Additionally, he championed 
investments in Connecticut infrastructure, securing a 10-year, $5.5 
billion plan to upgrade Connecticut roads and bridges. He never forgot 
teachers, like his wife, and oversaw the passing of the Educational 
Enhancement Act, raising teacher salaries and educational standards in 
the state. That generational uplift of Connecticut's teaching 
profession has paid massive dividends over the forty years, as 
Connecticut school children consistently rank in the highest echelon in 
national reading and mathematics test scores. Governor O'Neill's 
administration also created one of the first, pioneering prescription 
drug programs in the country called ConnPACE, that provided lifesaving 
medicines to seniors at a time when Medicare did not cover outpatient 
prescription drug coverage. I had the honor of being a newly elected 
state representative in 1989 when that groundbreaking measure passed.
  After a decade in the governor's residence, Mrs. O'Neill and her 
husband moved back to their home in East Hampton. Governor O'Neill 
passed in 2007 and was buried with military honors at the Veterans 
Center in Middletown. Mrs. O'Neill always said she relied on her many 
friends to make life worth living.
  Mr. Speaker, Mrs. O'Neill's loss is felt by her friends and 
colleagues across Connecticut and beyond. Her sharp intelligence, 
humility, wit, and thoughtfulness will be deeply missed by all those 
who she impacted through her service. I ask my colleagues to join me in 
honoring Nikki's life and legacy.

                          ____________________