John William “Bill” O’Connell (1943-2018)

Dec. 12--John William "Bill" O'Connell, a retired president of the Franciscan Services Corp. of Sylvania, died Saturday at his Ottawa Hills home. He was 75.

He died of pancreatic cancer, his wife of 52 years, Donna O'Connell, said.

Mr. O'Connell retired in 2010 after 26 years as president of the Franciscan Services -- from the time it was formed by the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania in 1984.

The corporation linked five hospitals: the former Providence Hospital in Sandusky; St. John Medical Center in Steubenville, Ohio; the former Holy Cross Hospital in Detroit; St. Jude Hospital in Brenham, Texas; and St. Joseph Hospital in Bryan, Texas.

"He set the whole system at Franciscan Services," Mrs. O'Connell said. "He was definitely very proud of his role and of the staff that he hired. He was very good to them. He always demanded their best work, and he always got it."

"It's hard to stay so long in that position, but he did -- thanks to the support of the Sisters [of St. Francis] and the [Franciscan Services] board of trustees," she said.

Before that, Mr. O'Connell, who held a master's degree in hospital administration from Xavier University in Cincinnati, was executive vice president of St. Joseph Hospital in Mount Clemens, Mich.

He also at different times was director of First Initiatives Insurance Ltd. of the Cayman Islands and director and chairman of Preferred Professional Insurance Co. of Omaha.

Mr. O'Connell was a life fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.

He was born Feb. 24, 1943, to John and Margaret O'Connell, who lived in the Darby neighborhood in South Toledo.

In 1961, he graduated from St. Francis de Sales High School and continued his education at Xavier University, getting his bachelor's and master's degrees in business administration with the focus in health-care administration.

He later served in the U.S. Army at Walter Reed General Hospital in Washington until his honorable discharge with the rank of first lieutenant, upon which he went into Catholic health-care administration.

"He always served in Catholic health care, and he was proud of that," his wife said, adding he had helped establish several nursing homes over the years, including at least two in Toledo.

Mr. O'Connell was a longtime member of Most Blessed Sacrament Parish, where he was active in the Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration program.

In his free time, he enjoyed traveling with his wife in the United States, Mexico, and Europe.

Surviving are his wife, Donna O'Connell; daughter, Colleen O'Connell; son, Clayton O'Connell; sisters, Julia Theil and Eileen Anning; brother, Martin O'Connell; seven grandchildren; and a great-granddaughter.

Visitation will be at 3 p.m. Thursday at the Ansberg-West Funeral Home, 3000 Sylvania Ave., with a recitation of the Rosary at 7:30 p.m.

Services will begin at 10:45 a.m. Friday at the funeral home, with the funeral Mass at 11:30 a.m. at Most Blessed Sacrament Church, 2240 Castlewood Dr.

The family suggests tributes to St. Francis de Sales High School or Most Blessed Sacrament Parish Outreach Program.

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