Joseph O’Donnell remembered as dedicated father, judge
CHICORA — On a gray and windy day, Main Street in Chicora temporarily shut down. A funeral procession of over 30 cars came down the hill and stopped in front of the magisterial district court building.
Old colleagues of District Judge Joseph O’Donnell Jr. stood outside the magistrate, watching as the hearse stopped by O’Donnell’s old place of work one last time.
The bell, located at the Chicora Veterans’ Honor Roll, rang out 18 times in honor of his 18 years serving as the community’s judge, followed by a prolonged moment of silence.
O’Donnell, 82, of Chicora, died May 16 at Butler Memorial Hospital. He served as magisterial district judge in Chicora and later as a senior magisterial district judge for the county.
Leanne Herrmann, Joseph O’Donnell’s daughter, said four words came to mind when thinking about her father: faith, family, friends and legacy.
“He was kind, he never met a stranger and he treated people the way he wanted them to treat him,” she said.
She said he was a deep believer who would spend morning in quiet prayer for his family and friends. He would also leave a stack of prayer cards beside his recliner. She said that faith carried him to the very end, with his last moments spent reciting the Lord’s Prayer with her, her two brothers and their mom.
Herrmann and her brother, Doug O’Donnell, recalled how much he loved their mother, Berniece M. Neff O’Donnell.
“He adored my mom. Their first date was actually senior prom,” Doug O’Donnell said.
Joseph O’Donnell was born Jan. 31, 1944, and graduated from Karns City Area Jr./Sr. High School in 1962. Before his career as a judge, he worked at Pullman Standard in Butler. He also served as a board member and officer for United Steelworkers Local #1415.
Herrmann recalled in 1976 when Joseph O’Donnell had 12 weeks of vacation from Pullman Standard. She said he used that time to purchase a camper and take a six-week road trip across the United States with the family.
The two siblings named a number of stops along their route from Chicora to San Diego and back, such as Yellowstone National Park, Mount Rushmore and the Grand Canyon.
They also noted how many of their father’s vehicles they crashed — from Doug O’Donnell crashing a Ramcharger to Herrmann crashing his John Deere tractor just a few years ago.
“He was a good dad. He taught us so many life lessons,” Herrmann said.
The two said that love and dedication to his family trickled down to his many grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Joseph O’Donnell began his career with the state as an auditor before earning his magisterial district judge certification from the Minor Judiciary Education Board in 1988.
He served three terms — from 1988 to 2006 — as judge for District 50-3-02 in Chicora. When he retired in 2006, he transitioned to senior magisterial district judge. He was also active on various committees of the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts in Harrisburg.
District Judge Kevin O’Donnell, who serves District 50-1-01 in Butler Township, said he is not related to Joseph O’Donnell, but knew him prior to him being elected judge.
“His family and my family — both O’Donnells, but not related — get together every year and play golf. We call it the O’Donnell Open,” he said.
He said they worked together for a few years, during which it became clear to him that Joseph O’Donnell had a clear understanding of what it means to be a magisterial district judge.
“District judges are meant to lighten the load for Commonwealth Court by having a member of the community deal with some of these smaller decisions. He really understood the purpose of our position,” Kevin O’Donnell said.
He said the former judge had a lot of love for his home community of Chicora and was deeply interested in serving that community.
“We’re in a position where we can help people, even those we find guilty. He knew that too,” he said.
Outside of his career, he was a life member of the Chicora Moose Lodge and an avid golfer, hunter and fisherman. He was a member of the Butler County Horseshoe League, the North American Hunting Association and more.
He also served as a longtime member of the board of directors of Passavant Memorial Homes.
Herrmann and Doug O’Donnell said they knew their father was well liked, but were still astonished and humbled by the sheer outpouring of love.
“I knew he made an impact, but I didn’t know it was on this level,” Doug O’Donnell said.
They thanked District Judge Lewis Stoughton, who serves the same district Joseph O’Donnell once did, for arranging to have the flag raised and the bell rung in downtown Chicora. They also thanked Chris Hile for making arrangements to close Chicora’s Main Street for the small ceremony.
“This community loved my dad and respected him. As his kids, we are so grateful to have that,” Herrmann said.
Eagle staff writer Zach Zimmerman contributed to this report.
