Kathleen Mary O'Neil

Obituary

Kathleen Mary O’Neil, 53, a loving mother, gifted pilot, instructor, and singer, died peacefully on October 7, 2026, at Casey House Hospice in Rockville, Maryland, after a battle with cancer. She was surrounded by family, friends, singing, love, and support.

Kathleen was born August 3, 1973, in Norwich, Connecticut, and grew up in nearby Preston. She attended St. Bernard High School in Uncasville, studied environmental science at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, and completed a master’s degree in journalism at the University of Colorado, Boulder. During graduate school, she met her love and partner, David McCabe. They married on September 29, 2007, in Preston, settled in Takoma Park, Maryland, and had two beautiful children together.

Kathleen began her professional career as an environmental scientist and then pursued her love of writing as a journalist and science writer. Never one to sit still – in her youth she pursued sailing, rowing, and bicycling - she was later able to fulfill her longtime dream of becoming a pilot. Tenaciously finding time to train while raising a family, Kathleen turned her passion for flying into a career, becoming a commercial multiengine pilot and sought-after instructor.

Beyond her work as a pilot and instructor, Kathleen was involved in several professional aviation organizations. She was an active member of Women in Aviation International and the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators. She was a dedicated and involved member of The Ninety-Nines, an international organization of women pilots, where she served in several Washington, DC chapter leadership positions, including chair, vice chair, and membership chair. In recognition of her dedication to flying, she received a number of awards and scholarships for flight training.

She loved to travel and explore the outdoors. During her undergraduate studies, she spent a semester sailing the Caribbean; after graduating she traveled to South Africa and eastern Europe with a community choir. With her family, Kathleen traveled extensively in Europe and the United States, particularly enjoying hiking in national parks and annual summer trips to Mirror Lake in New Hampshire. She was also a very active member of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, where she was a soprano in the choir. Kathleen combined her love of singing and travel during summer residencies for the St. Andrew’s choir in England at Norwich Cathedral in 2019 and Salisbury Cathedral in 2023.

Kathleen passed her love of exploring and flying to many, especially her children. They loved to fly with her, and even occasionally got to sit up front where she’d let them fly the plane along with her for a few moments. Her family has wonderful memories of flights with her, such as a 2024 trip to Ohio to experience a total solar eclipse.

Kathleen is survived by her husband, David; her two children, Timothy and Cameron; her parents, Mary Ann and Robert O’Neil; her siblings, Robert, Sean, Mary Elizabeth, and Meaghan; and a large extended family and many cherished friends and neighbors. She was preceded in death by her sister, Anne.

Kathleen lived life to the fullest, bringing wit, spontaneity, and a spirit of adventure to everything she did. Along the way, she forged deep friendships and helped create a strong sense of community. Her vibrant spirit will live on in the hearts of all who knew her and were inspired by her adventurous approach to life.

A funeral service will be held on November 14, 2026, at 11 AM at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in College Park, Maryland. 

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