Our History

John G. O'Neill, who passed on in 1980, founded the John G. O'Neill Funeral Home with the help of his wife, Marge and bought an older brick home on Main St in Oakville in the early 50's, from where the business still operates today. The O'Neill family, consisting of John, Marge and 5 children lived on the second floor of the funeral home for many, many years. In fact, it was quite common for Mr. and Mrs. O'Neill to send their children to a friends home in the evening so that they could conduct multiple wakes, even having to use their own living room on occasion. John and Marge built a large addition to the home in the 1960's and continued to raise their family there. Following John's death in 1980, Marge sold the business to the Zackowich family, who had a funeral home in Portland CT. The Casey family purchased the business in 2006 along with Kevin Henebery who had been with the Zackowich's for several years. They have begun making renovations including a new family arrangement center and merchandise showroom. Updates to the facility will continue, bringing it into the new generation to meet the constantly changing and evolving funeral and tribute services.

We have also been proudly serving the greater Waterbury area families from our East End location since 1954. Edward J. O'Donnell, (who passed on in 1995) with his wife Virginia, founded the Edward J. O'Donnell Funeral Home and bought a brick home on East Main St in Waterbury that was used as a physicians office and is where the business still operates today. The family consisted of Ed, Virginia and 4 children who lived on the second floor of the funeral home until they purchased the duplex next door and moved there. This afforded the business more operating space, larger parking facilities and an entire second floor viewing area. Following Mr. O'Donnell's passing in 1990, his wife Virginia and two sons managed the business for several years and sold it to the Casey Family in 1998. While the physical plant has gone through several renovations, the warm, homelike atmosphere in our main parlor is conducive to family gatherings of over 100 guests. A second floor parlor can also accommodate over 100 guests and is accessible by means of an elevator-chair lift for those requiring assistance. Ample off-streeet parking is also available. The general offices, family conference area and selection room were moved in 1999 to a newly constructed rear office annex.