Rev. O’Neill was also passionate about spreading the gospel of Christ around the world, embarking on regular trips to Asia and South America to assist in the education and preparation of future ministers, often teaching in countries where the gospel faced significant and official opposition from the government. His life is celebrated by thousands of people around the world due to his impact over his many years of ministry

On March 3, 2026, Jerry Francis O’Neill, 79, of Ross Township, ended his earthly pilgrimage and was received into the arms of his Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Jerry endured a years-long battle with primary progressive aphasia, and the family rejoices with confidence that he is now free from this bondage. He was a beloved husband, father, brother, Papa, churchman, minister, and theological educator who had an infectious and sincere love for all who knew him.

Jerry was born on February 15, 1947, in Winchester, KS, to John and Rose O’Neill. Along with his three sisters, he was raised to love Jesus and came to love and appreciate the church as a young man. Growing up in a small rural farming community, he quickly developed his lifelong loves of basketball and ice cream. He left farm country to attend Geneva College in Beaver Falls, PA, where he developed into one of the school’s all-time great basketball players. In 1968, he was awarded the Emil S. Liston award, a prestigious NAIA national honor given to a junior who best exemplified excellence in character, the classroom, and the basketball court. Jerry will be posthumously inducted into the Geneva College Athletic Hall of Fame for his hardwood accomplishments later this fall.

After his junior year in college, he married Ann Birdsall, beginning a nearly 58-year partnership in ministry and family. Together, they raised five children: Meg (Sam) Spear of Ross Township, Kristy (Bob) Brehm of Pittsburgh, Luke (Jennifer) O’Neill of Shaler Township, Jonathan (Brandy) O’Neill of Gibsonia, and Bethany (Patrick) Hardwig of Fargo, ND.

Jerry graduated from Geneva in 1969 with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science. A year later, Jerry left for the battlefield, serving for one year in the Vietnam War. He then received a Master’s degree in College Administration from Indiana University in Bloomington, IN, after which Jerry and Ann moved their young family to Sterling College in central Kansas, where Jerry served as Dean of Men. In 1979, sensing God’s call to be a minister, he and the family moved to Pittsburgh, where Jerry took up seminary studies at Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary (RPTS).

In 1981, after receiving his Master of Divinity degree, Jerry was ordained into the ministry, serving as the founding pastor of the Columbus (Indiana) Reformed Presbyterian Church until 1995, at which point he responded to the Lord’s call to return to Pittsburgh to become president of RPTS. He faithfully and skillfully led the seminary for 23 years, retiring in 2018. Jerry was passionate about Reformed theology, but also about the unity of the body of Christ, building bridges and strengthening relationships with churches across denominational and racial lines throughout the Pittsburgh area. He loved teaching, preaching, mentoring, counseling, and connecting people for the Kingdom of Christ.

He was also passionate about spreading the gospel of Christ around the world, embarking on regular trips to Asia and South America to assist in the education and preparation of future ministers, often teaching in countries where the gospel faced significant and official opposition from the government. His life is celebrated by thousands of people around the world due to his impact over his many years of ministry

Jerry served his alma mater, Geneva College, in numerous ways over the years, including a long stint on the college’s Board of Corporators from 1981-1997 and the Board of Trustees from 1994-2002. In 2022, he was a recipient of the Life G Award, the school’s highest alumni honor, given to a graduate who demonstrates a lifetime embodiment of the college’s principles of service above self.

Jerry is survived by Ann, his wife of nearly 58 years, his five children, and his three sisters (Linda Henry of St. Paul, MN, Bonnie Meyer of Miami Beach, FL, and Rita Lyon of Winchester, KS), as well as 18 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren, to whom he was an unforgettable and beloved Papa.

The family would like to thank the Department of Veterans Affairs and many individual caregivers for their years of faithful service to Jerry.

Family and friends will be received at Simons Funeral Home at 7720 Perry Highway in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, March 11, from 6-8 PM and Thursday, March 12, from 1-3 PM. A memorial service will be held at the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North Hills on Thursday, March 12, at 5 PM with a meal following. The service will be live-streamed at www.rpcnh.org for those unable to attend in person. A graveside burial service will take place in Winchester, KS, on Saturday, March 14. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary (7418 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, or www.rpts.edu).