Saturday, March 19, 2011
Thomas F. Rohan Award
2010 Thomas F. Rohan Award Recipient
John T. O’Neill
The Thomas F. Rohan Award recipient shall be a long standing member of this Association who has made significant contributions to the overall success of the Parade and/or our Association. In 1957, the St. Patrick’s Committee of Holyoke established an award to honor the first Grand Marshal Thomas F. Rohan
John T. Pharmacy Jack O'Neill, who has been with the parade since 1954, was selected the 2010 Thomas F. Rohan Award recipient for his long service to the St. Patrick's Committee of Holyoke.
A life-long resident of this city, Jack was born in Holyoke February 6, 1934. His professional career has been in pharmacy, hence his nickname Pharmacy Jack which distinguished him from the "other'' Jack O'Neill, who was the area late sports-broadcaster.
Pharmacy Jack is a graduate of St. Jerome Grammar School, and St. Jerome High School in 1951. In 1955 he graduated from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Allied Sciences. Beginning his pharmacy career, at first he owned his own pharmacy and after a period of time, he joined the Sisters of Providence network where he still works--despite his formal retirement several years ago.
Jack has served the St. Patrick’s Committee in many areas including being elected President in 1983. He received the O'Connell Award in 1991. He has been a member of several committees including the first Parade Program Book in 1967, music, Bishop's Mass and Reception, Colleen Ball, chairman of the Citizenship Award, Ambassador Award, annual road race, marketing, raffle, and Memorial Mass committees.
Jack has also served the community of Holyoke, as a member and chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Holyoke Geriatric Authority, Ancient Order of Hibernians, as a coach of CYO basketball at Sacred Heart and Our Lady of Guadalupe, and as a Western Mass. basketball referee and official. He served on the Board of Directors of the then Holyoke Boys' Club and was a member of the Western Mass. Golden Gloves Committee. He served his parish, now Our Lady of Guadalupe, as a Parish Pastoral Council member and a Eucharistic Minister and is a Knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
Jack is grateful to the committee for selecting him as the Rohan Award recipient this year and he is looking forward to being in the Parade with his son and daughters.