Edward J. O'Neil Jr.

Edward J. O’Neil Jr., long time Cox Newspapers executive, died Friday January 5, 2016. A Dayton native, born February 10, 1930, recently returned to Ohio after more than 22 years as a winter resident of Sanibel Island, Florida.
At the time of his 1990 retirement, O’Neil was publisher of the Springfield News-Sun.
O’Neil spent most of his 44-year newspaper career with Cox Newspapers in Dayton, Miami and Springfield.
He is survived by his wife of 63 years (4/26/52) Virginia (Butz) and sons Michael (Barbara) of Hebron, OH, David of Fort Worth, TX, and Daniel (Sharon) of Bellbrook, OH and daughters Susan (Michael) Muldowney of Kettering and Joanne (Thomas) Kyne of Bellbrook. Another son, Stephen, died in 1998. Grandchildren include Tony and Matt Muldowney, Kyle, Connor and Lauren O’Neil. Kelly (Josh) Nelson, Emily and Sarah Kyne and Lisa (Dr. Brian Jenkins) O’Neil of Fort Worth, TX, and two great grandchildren Josephine Lily and Oliver Knox O’Neil-Jenkins.
O’Neil was a 1947 graduate of Chaminade High and attended the University of Dayton.
After serving as a high school sports reporter at the age of 16 he became a fulltime member of the Dayton Daily News sports department before his 18th birthday. He joined the Air Force in 1950 and served three years during the Korean conflict, as an information specialist and editor of the Air Material Command’s global weekly newspaper “AMC World” at Wright-Patterson AFB.
He covered college football and basketball around the Midwest after his return from service and in 1956 was given the Cincinnati Reds beat by his mentor, Si Burick. After the 1958 season O’Neil was promoted to sports editor of the Cox-owned Miami (FL) News. At the time he was the youngest major league baseball writer and youngest metropolitan sports editor in the nation.
In 1960 he joined the staff of the national sports weekly The Sporting News in St. Louis. O’Neil was named an associate editor and charged with helping convert “the bible of baseball” into a rounded chronicle of all sports, a move which solidified seasonal subscriber peaks into a year round success.
But daily newspapering was his first love and when a sports editor’s job in Champaign-Urbana, IL came open O’Neil landed the job and got into the middle of a hotly waged newspaper war in which only one of the two daily papers could survive.
The News-Gazette, O’Neil’s paper, was safely the winner when he decided to abandon the sports life he loved in favor of his family. At the time, in 1966, the oldest of his 6 children was entering junior high and the constant travel, night and holiday sports events kept him away too much.
He decided to return to Ohio and accidentally learned of an opening as promotion director for the Dayton Daily News. When Cox named him to that job it meant a welcome homecoming.
In rapid succession O’Neil was named Dayton Boss of the Year in 1969, was promoted to Circulation Director ’69, and in 1972 as assistant advertising director. He became advertising director in 1974, vice president/marketing director 1981 and then publisher of the News-Sun in1985.
Along the way O’Neil served on state boards of circulation and advertising groups, was president of the Dayton Advertising Club and an honorary life member of the local association. He was a member of the executive committee of the International Newspaper Marketing Executives association for seven years and was named an honorary life member. He helped shape the market research goals of the industry and pioneered in the “total market” and zoning concepts that helped offset shrinking daily reading habits.
He was one of the few remaining Cox employees who worked with Gov. James M Cox, the media group’s founder, on a daily basis.
For 15 years the O’Neils had a summer home on Indian Lakes Seminole Island, one of 19 addresses on their journey.
After retirement Ed and Ginny spent most of their time at their home on Sanibel Island and were members of the Beachview Golf Club. Summer stays in Ohio kept them in touch with their 5 surviving children.
Mass of Christian Burial, 10:30 am Tuesday, February 9 at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church. The family will receive friends Tuesday from 9:30 am until the time of service at the church. Burial, Calvary Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the American Diabetes Foundation, www.diabetes.org/Donate . Arrangements by the Westbrock Funeral Home, 5980 Bigger Rd.