Francis Gregory O’Neill (9 February 1913 - 26 December 1971) was born to John O’Neill and Bridget E. Curran of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. His siblings were Richard Joseph, Charles Henry, Margaret Aileen, Mary Elizabeth, Patrick, and James Rupert. Francis, also known as “Frank” or “Huck” to his friends, married Norma Margaret Newsom on 11 November 1938 at the Holy Redeemer Church in Charlottetown. Their sons, John and Phillip, were born in 1947 and 1949, respectively. Frank resided at a number of addresses in Charlottetown over the years including Dorchester Street, Fitzroy Street, Grafton Street, and Brighton Road. Frank worked for six years with the Provincial Bank of Canada as an accountant, for one year as a cost and pay accountant with Standard Paving Company, and for six years as the office manager at Kelly and MacInnis Gents Furnishings Firm. He was Auxiliary Service Supervisor of the Knights of Columbus and a member of the Little Theatre Guild of Charlottetown after World War II. Frank O’Neill died in 1971 at the age of 58.

During his military service in World Ward II, Frank O’Neill was held captive at the Shumshuipo Prisoner of War camp in Hong Kong. The camp was later moved to North Point Prisoner of War camp in Japan. During this period (ca. 1941-1945), Frank was supervisor of the Allied troops, as well as camp entertainment officer at the Shumshuipo Prisoner of War Camp and Director of the Canadian Minstrels at North Point Prisoner of War Camp. In these roles, Frank organized sporting events, game tournaments, plays, and musical performances in an attempt to keep the troops’ spirits high and to distract them from the malnutrition, disease and suffering they experienced as prisoners of war.