James Earl Oneal

He leaves his loving wife of 46 years, Suzanne O’Neal (Encinitas, CA); his children, Tamara and Michael Sullivan (Stevenson, WA), Michael and Lori O’Neal (Oceanside, CA), Steven O’Neal (Lakeside, CA), David and Margie Bay (Carlsbad, CA), and Paul and Renee Bay (Dana Point, CA); his grandchildren, Macy Weinman, Connor Sullivan, Alyssa O’Neal, Sara Tharp, Brian Bay, Lauren Bay, Trevor Bay, and Travis Bay; his great-grandchild Savanna Tharp; his sister and brother-in-law, Alice and William Freeman; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Mildred O’Neal, and his brother and sister-in-law, Arthur and Dorothy O’Neal.

Jim was born in Mountain View, California in 1934. His parents and older brother, Art, left the County of Santa Clara soon after his birth and permanently settled in San Diego’s Pacific Beach neighborhood. The family increased to five when his younger sister, Alice, was born. The three siblings grew to adulthood in a shared one-bathroom, one-phone, three-bedroom house...and that very beloved house served as a focal point in the lives of Jim’s children, nieces, and nephew for almost another two decades.

As a child, and much to “Jimmy’s” chagrin, he and Alice were often mistaken for twins. He and his siblings had a pretty normal childhood. They went to church every Sunday and always had Sunday dinner with a formal tablecloth, a roast, mashed potatoes, and homemade biscuits. Surprisingly, he took tap dance lessons (and often entertained his small children with a soft shoe routine when he was a younger dad). And he played with his neighborhood friends, sneaking and naughtily doling out his mom’s freshly-baked cookies...usually right before dinner time.

Jim was a proud Viking and attended La Jolla High School. He graduated in 1952. After completing a year at San Diego City College, the Viking transferred to San Diego State and became an Aztec. Lifelong friendships were formed when he pledged and was initiated into the Kappa Sigma fraternity. And, he gained a brother-in-law, as his sister, Alice, married his fraternity brother, Bill. He graduated in 1957 as a pre-legal student with a degree in political science.

After college, Jim became a commissioned officer in the United States Marine Corps and began eight months of intensive training in weaponry, tactics, and leadership with 200 other young officers in Quantico, Virginia. Lieutenant James O’Neal completed Basic School with “B” Company in 1958. He was immediately assigned as a tank battalion officer at Camp Las Pulgas, located within Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California. There, he trained Marines before they departed to the Vietnam War.

After serving his active-duty term, academics called once again. Jim left the Marine Corps with an Honorable Discharge and matriculated at the University of San Diego Law School. He completed his degree in three years, but the hard part was yet to come...studying for that all-important California bar exam. He passed, and on January 4, 1967, he was admitted and qualified as an Attorney in the State of California. He also qualified for Defense Trial Counsel for the Department of Navy. Ultimately, he put his degree to good use and began work as a General Practice attorney in Oceanside, California, partnering with several firms before establishing his own practice.

It is about this time where his story became sweet and life-changing...because, on March 19, 1977, Jim married Suzanne Marie Bay, on the beach, in Leucadia, California, at sunset, and grew his family of one daughter (Tamara) and two sons (Michael and Steven) to a family of seven with the addition of two more sons (David and Paul).

Life was busy! Jim was active in the Rotary Club of El Camino Real Oceanside, served as president of the Oceanside Boy’s Club in 1974, became the Director of the Bar Association of Northern San Diego from 1995-1997, functioned as the attorney for the North County Transit District, was a board member of San Dieguito National Bank, and assisted his residential community as Skyloft’s HOA president. Likewise, his faith was very important to him. He was an active parishioner at St. James Catholic Church in Solana Beach, where both he and Suzanne served as Eucharistic Ministers.

But as engaged as he was, family remained his priority. He enjoyed socializing, golf, camping, traveling, sailing, reading, and later, woodworking. How many of us received handmade wooden bowls, writing pens, doll and baby cradles, wood toy cars, and 5’ tall, free-standing “giraffes.”

Jim lived his life with dignity and loyalty. His tremendous love of family kept him content. He will be sorely missed as a loving husband, Dad, Grandpa, Great-Grandpa, and TaTa.