Brian Boru O’Neill Jr. was born in Hancock, MI in 1947, the oldest of six children. He attended kindergarten and first grade in post-war Japan, then third through fifth grade in Germany. He graduated from Fountain High School in Colorado, where he excelled as captain and quarterback of his football team. He enlisted in the Army before his appointment to the Academy.
“He was perfectly suited for cadet life,” said Art Nigro ’69. “Brian overcame the Academy’s grueling physical demands with sheer grit and a wonderful sense of humor. I remember the twinkle in his eyes when he proposed C-3 adopt the ‘Fighting Cocks’ as its mascot, which it did. I admired Brian’s capacity for leadership, from leading the song as we marched, to taking his well-deserved place as company commander. He was a humble person. He rarely presented himself as the solution, but solved problems at hand, kept a positive attitude and often lifted others’ spirits through difficult times.”
“The Boru” served in the 5-30th Artillery in Italy and Crete for two years with Phil Holden ’69, under the guidance of Colonel Bill Nolde. Under the G.I. Bill, Brian attended Michigan Law School, was managing editor of the law review and graduated magna cum laude and a member of the Order of the Coif in 1974. From 1974 to 1977 he was assistant to the General Counsel of the Army with Bob Gregg ’69. They worked with lawyers Dick Kearney and Charlie Ablard on issues facing the post-Vietnam Army, including water projects, the William Calley appeals, the Amnesty Program, Army environmental compliance, and matters of ethics.
In 1977 Brian left the Army, a decision he sometimes regretted. His experience and leadership training made him the perfect pick to lead the battle on behalf of over 40,000 victims of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, including Native Alaskans, commercial fishermen, and municipalities. In 1994 his legal team obtained a five-billion-dollar verdict against Exxon, and trial lawyers for public justice selected him as Trial Lawyer of the Year.
Brian was a highly distinguished and internationally recognized lawyer who tried cases about oil spills, intellectual property, the environment, securities, antitrust, admiralty, bankruptcy, contracts, patents, trademarks, copyrights, constitutional law, product liability, trade secrets and even bank robbery. His door was always open to anybody who needed a lawyer. Brian was proudest of his extensive pro bono practice during the times he protected forests, wilderness areas and wildlife like wolves, grizzly bears, dolphins, eagles, and trout. He preserved places of solitude, including Boundary Waters Canoe Area, Voyageurs National Park, and Yellowstone Park.
Brian’s biggest turn on was “a woman who could carry both a pack and a canoe.” This dream came true when he met his third wife and true companion, Ruth O’Neill. They had two children (five total for Brian) and enjoyed 30 years of backcountry canoeing, golfing, skiing, scuba diving, camping, and fishing. During his retirement they traveled to Micronesia, where Brian led delegations of lawyers to promote the rule of law.
Brian was loyal to humanity. He found spirituality in nature. He delighted in racing down a mountain in Big Sky Montana and chipping out of the sand trap for a birdie. The world was his oyster. He loved sharing the earth and food of the earth with others—a beer and a bologna sandwich with mustard or an excellent red wine and a barbeque in his backyard. He was a thrilling chef and consummate host.
Brian’s sense of humor was outrageous. His optimism was contagious. He never lingered over disappointment. He laughed every day. The more irreverent a joke, the funnier it had to be. During happy hours, he was genuinely happy. He relaxed into James Bond marathons. He loved a good book. He loved TV. He understood Leroy Gibbs on “NCIS.” He saw as many movies as possible. He amused himself by creating and refining lists:
“Best Movies of All Time”: The Castle (Australian man lives at the end of an airport runway), Waking Ned Devine, Best in Show, Midnight in Paris, The Snappers, A Year of Living Dangerously, Dune, Back to School, Casablanca
“Ideal Foods”: peanut butter, all pork products, Redi Whip, Oreos, ice-cream, Fritos, Velveeta Cheese
“Ideal Clothes”: Levi’s or shorts, black high-topped Converse tennis shoes, T-shirt, Yankees baseball cap (“I invented casual Friday and devoted much of my life to pushing the boundaries of casual attire.”)
“Best wavy blonde hair”: My own
“Favorite Musicians”: Otis Redding, Greg Brown, Iris DeMent, Emmy Lou Harris, John Prine, Van Morrison, The Beach Boys, Amy Winehouse
“Favorite Songs”: “Kung Fu Fighting” and The Animals version of “We Gotta Get Out of this Place”
In October 2019 Brian was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (“ALS”), a disability the VA determined to be 100 percent service-connected. He was thankful for the support from the Paralyzed Veterans of America and the Minneapolis VA during his brief illness. On May 6, 2020 Brian raised his “Parting Glass” (favorite version of this song by the High Kings) and said, “I am so proud of all my children. I had a great marriage and I have lived a rich and full life. God, it’s so serious in this room. You guys need to lighten up.”
“Favorite Robert Service poem”: “The Cremation of Same McGee” (excerpt)
There are strange things done in the midnight sun
By the men who moil for gold;
The Arctic trails have their secret tales
That would make your blood run cold;
The Northern Lights have seen queer sights,
But the queerest they ever did see
Was that night on the marge of Lake Lebarge
I cremated Sam McGee.
— Ruth O’Neill