O'Neil Francis Rome Jr.'s Obituary
O’Neil Francis Rome Jr., 83, passed away peacefully in his home in Memphis, Tennessee on December 14, 2024, with his family by his side. He was born on July 27, 1941, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Those who will miss Neil the most include his children, Ashley (Doug) Burbank, O’Neil F. (Maryanne) Rome, III, and Robert (Valerie Auger) Rome; his grandchildren, Elaine (Nick) Luquet, Julian (Madeline) Rome, Robert Burbank, Noah (Bethany) Rome, Elijah Rome, and Jake Werkhoven; his great granddaughter, Therese Rome; and his brother and sister, Richard Rome and Beth Thomas. He is reunited in Heaven with his beloved wife of thirty-seven years, Susan Manley Rome, and his parents, O’Neil F. Rome Sr. and Day LeBlanc Rome.
Neil graduated from Catholic High School in Baton Rouge, LA in 1959, and received a B.A. in Political Science from Louisiana State University in 1964. He received his commission as an Officer in the Navy on August 21, 1964, and proudly served on the U.S.S. Shangri-La, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Guadalcanal. For his service, he was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation, a National Defense Service Medal, an Armed Forces Reserve Medal, a Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, a Gold Pin for Certification as a Surface Warfare Officer, a Pin as a Commanding Officer of a Naval Shore Station, a Gold Shield as a Recruiting Officer, and a Ship Unit Award for an Extended Deployment During a Time of Conflict. After twenty years of service, Neil retired from the Navy and went to work for the U.S. Post Office, from which he retired in 1998.
Neil’s life was devoted to his family. He was an empathetic listener and a captivating storyteller and loved to swap stories with his children and grandchildren over happy hour drinks, home-cooked Southern Louisiana meals, or over the phone. He always made his loved ones feel important, whether by walking them back out to their cars at the end of a visit and waving as they drove off, or by always having their favorite drinks, meals, and snacks ready when they came to see him. Indeed, he was affectionately called “Grandad” not just by his grandchildren, but also his grandchildren’s friends, who he immensely enjoyed getting to know and spending time with.
Neil loved to travel, especially on ships and trains. One of his most memorable trips was his 70th birthday trip on the Trans Canada Rail, from Vancouver, BC to Halifax, Nova Scotia. A long-time member of the Railway Passengers Association, he also enjoyed his regular trips on Amtrak’s City of New Orleans Train to Louisiana and the Sunset Limited to El Paso, Texas. He also enjoyed crossword puzzles, collectible coins and stamps, and keeping up with contemporary comedy and music.
Neil was a major sports enthusiast, and had a near-encyclopedic memory for LSU athletics in particular. He would follow former LSU players in their professional careers; for any given NFL or MLB team, he could tell you who played for LSU, when, and in what position, as well as how he thought they were performing so far that season.
In honor of his passion for LSU sports, Neil’s family encourages attendees at the celebration of life service and visitation to wear purple and gold or memorabilia for their favorite team.
The celebration of life service will be held on Monday, December 23, 2024, at 1:00 PM at Memorial Park Funeral Home (5668 Poplar Ave, Memphis TN 38119), with Fr. Michael Werkhoven officiating. Visitation will be from 12:00 to 1:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, memorials will be appreciated to the Cathedral of The Immaculate Conception (1669 Central Avenue Memphis, TN 38104).
Online condolences and memories can be shared with the family at www.MemorialParkOnline.com.
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