Thomas Neil O'Donnell

Thomas Neil O'Donnell, 80, passed away on Saturday, June 22nd, 2013 at the Bell Trace Health and Living Center in Bloomington, Indiana. He was surrounded by loved ones in his final hours, and is now in the tender care of our Father's arms. He was born on January 26th, 1933 in Greensboro, North Carolina to Philip and Mary (Kroft) O'Donnell. Tom grew up in Vincennes, Indiana. He graduated from Lincoln High School in 1950. After high school he attended Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, where he received a BS in Business. He was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity and was active on campus, participating in many clubs and councils. Tom was in the ROTC and commissioned into the United States Air Force upon graduation from I.U., serving as a pilot for 3 years, including a tour of duty in Korea. He was honorably discharged in 1959, achieving the rank of Captain. He had a distinguished career at General Motors Corporation in assignments with increasing responsibility, culminating in his appointment as the Labor Relations Director of OSHA Affairs. In this role he led the successful litigation of multiple legal challenges. He was nominated to the post of Assistant Secretary of Labor under two U.S. Presidents, and worked on Ronald Reagan's transition team. He retired from G.M. in 1992 after 33 years. Tom married Mary Lou Buhr in 1973. They were happily married for 40 years. Tom was a member of First United Methodist Church in Bloomington. He enjoyed golf and was an avid IU sports fan. Mostly, he loved his family and dear friends. Tom was preceded in death by his parents, Philip and Mary O'Donnell. Tom is survived by his spouse, Mary Lou of Bloomington Indiana, his 3 sons and 3 daughters, Thomas (Beth) O'Donnell Jr. of Orchard Park, New York, John O'Donnell of Washington, DC , Steven (Kim) O'Donnell of Littleton, Colorado, Amy (Mark) Kesmodel of Bloomington, Indiana, Kathryn (Eric) Dewey of Denver, Colorado and Jennifer (Alex) Petrovich of Southlake, Texas; his brother, Philip (Peg) O'Donnell of Bonita Springs, Florida; his grandchildren, Ryan and Caitlin O'Donnell, Jack O'Donnell, Meghan (O'Donnell) Kelly, Sean and Katherine O'Donnell, Emily, Hannah and Maggie Kesmodel, and Nicholas, Cristina and Harrison Petrovich; and his great-grandchildren Patrick O'Donnell and Katelyn Kelly. A memorial service will be held at Allen Funeral Home, 4155 South Old Highway 37, Bloomington, Indiana, at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, June 28, 2013, and presided over by Pastor Mark Fenstermacher. Preceding the service, the family will be greeting friends and relatives between 4:00 and 5:45 p.m. at the funeral home. A private burial service will follow at a later date. In lieu of flowers the family requests memorial donations be made to the American Cancer Society. The family would like to thank all the kind people at Bell Trace that cared for Tom during his time there. Condolences may be left on Thomas Neil O'Donnell's online guest book at www.allenfuneralhome.org.

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Thomas Neil O'Donnell

January 26, 1933 - June 22, 2013