Tim O’donnell ~ Class of 1976
Arrived ~ 7/18/1958
Departed ~ 2/11/2025
Timothy “Tim” Michael O’Donnell Obituary
Timothy Michael O’Donnell, 66, of Annandale, Virginia, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, February 11, 2025. Born on July 18, 1958, in Washington, D.C., he was the beloved son of the late William Aloysius and Florence Lillian O’Donnell.
A 1976 graduate of the International School of Bangkok, Tim began his 32-year career with Chesapeake and Potomac telephone company, through its evolution to Bell Atlantic, and finally to Verizon. His work included provisioning and maintaining designed circuits. He worked with a group that provisioned, maintained, and designed analog circuits. He was part of the first group of technicians to work with fiber optic circuits in the Washington metropolitan region. He retired in 2012.
Tim drew strength and joy from the things he loved most—family, friends, the outdoors, sports (HTTR!), and music. His favorite places were the Sunset Grille and JVs for music, Donnie’s shed for sports, and Captain Ruth’s boat on the Chesapeake Bay.
He is survived by his wife, Lisa Davies O’Donnell, his children, Kristen A. Miller and Timothy M. O’Donnell, Jr. (Brady), and stepdaughter Diana M. Winter (Efe), grandchildren, Lilly, Ethan, Timothy III, and Seamus, siblings, William A. O’Donnell (Janet), Patricia A. Barto (Joe), John J. O’Donnell (Dana), and Christopher T. O’Donnell (Jen), nieces and nephews, Joey Barto (Jennifer), Tommy Barto (Vy), Ryan O’Donnell (Laura), Michael O’Donnell (Melissa), Kevin Barto (Bethany), Danny Barto (Nicoli), Meghan O’Donnell, Erin Quillen (Zach), and Keenan O’Donnell, great nieces and nephews, Faith O’Donnell, William Barto, Emma Barto, Owen O’Donnell, Hope Barto, Olivia Barto, Natalie O’Donnell, William Quillen, and Finn O’Donnell, and adopted siblings and niece, Esta Biney, Albert Kwesi Wilson, and Maame Brew-Wilson.
Life is best when your friends become your family. God truly blessed us with Rudy and Denise Guerin.
Thank you, Esta Biney, Albert Kwesi Wilson, Jane McKenna, and Dr. Les Gavora, for providing Tim with exceptional medical care. More importantly, thank you for the genuine human connections you forged with Tim and our family, which comforted us during challenging times and made an immeasurable difference in our journey. Your kindness, expertise, and humanity will remain in our memories forever. We are eternally grateful.
Tim is preceded in death by his parents, his “brosin” Mike Guerra, his “mother” and matriarch of St. Michael Catholic School, Mrs. Phyllis Cribbin, and the best dogs—Chester, Merry Bailey, and Cassady.
Tim O’Donnell’s legacy is his family and friends. He fought with unwavering determination because he wanted to be there for the people he loved. This was his reason for pushing forward, trying one more treatment, and getting up each morning with a purpose. During his 6-year journey with cancer, he never stopped planning for the future or living life to its fullest.
Every person who ever met Tim had a “Tim” story – usually not what they did together but how Tim made them feel. Tim was our best friend, yet we had no idea who Tim’s best friend was because he made everyone feel valued and important. Even in the worst of times, every interaction with Tim included, at some point, two simple words – “Thank you.” On behalf of everyone, we thank you, Tim, for giving us some of you and leaving us slightly better than you found us.
A visitation will be held at Murphy’s Funeral Home, 1102 W Broad St, Falls Church, VA 22046, on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM.
The funeral will be held at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 5121 Woodland Way, Annandale, VA 22003, on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, at 11:00 AM.
Memorial contributions may be made to Queen Anne’s County Waterman’s Association, 108 Spruce Drive, Queen Anne, MD 21657.
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