Mercy and Compassion
Betty O’Neill
Born with a spirit of adventure, Betty O’Neill hoped to become a flight attendant. She enrolled in Mercy Hospital School of Nursing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to fulfill the nurses training required for flight attendants. However, when she graduated in 1941, the war had started and everything changed. Betty said, “It just made more sense to continue nursing.”
She specialized in neurosurgical nursing and became the “nurse of choice” for the top neurosurgeon in the area. She was the one chosen to scrub with the distinguished Mayo brothers whenever they came to Pittsburgh.
Betty’s husband, Dr. Philip O’Neill, practiced for a time at the Leahy Clinic in Boston as the primary physician for such prominent families as the Kennedys. He then went on to spend the majority of his career as a gastroenterologist with Cathedral Square Medical Group in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
After the cross-country move to Milwaukee, Betty transitioned to her role as wife, homemaker and community volunteer. When they moved to St. John’s on the Lake, Betty took advantage of every opportunity to volunteer and participate. One of her favorites was Forever Friends, Sherry Power’s intergenerational program linking second-graders with elders from St. John’s. Betty still stays in touch with many of those children 20 years later.
When Phil passed away in 2000, Betty assumed full financial responsibility for their investments and charitable giving. She created a scholarship at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Phil’s memory. Betty also started traveling with Sherry Power for spring break trips to Sanibel and summer trips to Estes Park and Ireland.
Betty also began exploring options for establishing a nursing scholarship. As a Mercy-trained nurse, Betty was drawn to Mount Mercy University because of Sherry’s enthusiasm for the nursing scholarship she created at Mount Mercy in honor of her parents. Betty met Sister Cephas Wichman, founder of Mount Mercy’s endowment program, and soon realized that no other institution would appreciate her investment or use it more wisely than Mount Mercy.
Betty became interested in all things Mount Mercy and enjoyed campus visits. When she went to the Sisters of Mercy University Center and looked up at the inscription that said, "Our Name is Mercy; Our Spirit is Compassion," Betty commented, “I think we’ve come to the right place!
Betty used an IRA charitable rollover to establish the Betty and Dr. Philip O’Neill Endowed Scholarship for Nursing at Mount Mercy. The couple had great respect for education and chose to use the fruit of their success to provide opportunities for nursing students for generations to come.
At the age of 98 and living 250 miles from campus, Betty’s kindness continues through annual IRA distributions to their scholarship. She often hosts the annual luncheon for Mount Mercy NOVA leadership nursing students and faculty at the University Club of Milwaukee where she sees tangible results of her contributions.
Betty has graciously made provisions for a legacy estate gift to boost the Betty and Dr. Philip O’Neill Endowed Scholarship for Nursing at Mount Mercy.
To learn more about impacting others through education, contact Lonna Drewelow at 319-286-4408 or ldrewelow@mtmercy.edu.