Jeanne (Pierson) O'Neil

Jeanne (Pierson) O'Neil died early Sept. 13 at her home in Panama City.

She was born July 24, 1940, in Lafayette, Indiana.

She moved to Panama City on July 4, 1976.

O'Neil spent her final days in Emerald Coast in-home hospice care. Her family thanked the people who visited each week to help keep her comfortable, including her CNA, Jessica, who affectionately called her “princess Jeanne.”

O'Neil grew up with her father, Robert E. Pierson Sr., and her stepmother, June, after losing her mother, Mary Jane Steele, at a young age. Her father worked as a traveling salesman, and the family traveled through parts of the country. As a teenager, O'Neil rode horses and painted.

She completed her education at Edgewater High in Orlando and later worked as a Southern Bell telephone operator. There, she met Mack, a telephone lineman. The couple married three months later, on Dec. 27, 1960, and transferred to several Florida communities before settling in Panama City.

O'Neil and Mack attended Trinity Baptist Church in Parker when they were younger adults. Mack played guitar while Jeanne sang. She also taught Vacation Bible School and served as a Brownie and Girl Scout leader with her friend Jorie.

Her family remembered O'Neil for her photography, doll collection and love of Shirley Temple. She also devoted herself to animals and welcomed strays into her care. The family said she became “mom” to many people and always had hugs to give.

Mack, her husband of 61 years, preceded her in death. Her other relatives who preceded her included daughters Sherry O'Niel and Della Ferney, grandson Zakary Kram, sister Dorothy Breech, and brothers Robert Jr., Bobby, Don, Garry Pierson, Tom McReynolds and Dan McReynolds.

O'Neil is survived by sisters Mary Symes and Kathy Cooke, daughters Audry Jackson and Debbie Korwek, and grandsons Peter Bonanno, Robert Bonanno, Justin Jackson, Ben Jackson and Marshall Kram, along with other family members and friends.

The family asked that people make memorial donations to the Carlisle Baptist Church Building Fund in lieu of flowers. The family provided no service date or location.