Shown are John and Lisa O’Neill on their beloved Chapman Lake. John has been a boat captain for The Lilly Center for Lakes and Streams for the last nine years. Photo provided by The Watershed Foundation.

By Lauren Zeugner
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — John O’Neill had just returned from taking a group of Lilly Center for Lakes and Stream “kids” out on Chapman Lake for their first water test of the season when ‘the PAPER’ called for a phone interview. The students were looking at water quality, what was in the water from nutrients to bacteria to the water’s PH levels, and more for their research.

For the last nine years, O’Neill has been one of three who serve as boat captains for The Lilly Center for Lakes and Streams. Dr. Nate Bosch had just started at Grace College when O’Neill and his family moved to Chapman Lake from Wisconsin. He attended an informational meeting Bosch had about lake health, and O’Neill ended up volunteering to be a boat captain.

“It’s great. You’re the contact person for research on lake,” he said, during the phone interview.

From there, he started asking questions about wastewater and sewers. O’Neill explained as someone who grow up on the near south side of Chicago, he never had to worry about septic systems.

From being the boat captain, O’Neill was invited to join the board of directors for The Watershed Foundation, which focuses on the Upper Tippecanoe River Watershed covering Kosciusko, Noble and Whitley counties.

O’Neill, who worked in the commodity pits of Chicago, came on the board as treasurer, served as vice president for two years, and just recently started a two- year term as board president.

“I really enjoy the work of The Watershed Foundation. I’ve learned so much,” O’Neill said.

O’Neill is no stranger to living on the lake. One of six children, O’Neill’s father purchased a cabin on Great Bear Lake, located near Grand Junction, Mich., when O’Neill was a boy.

“As a young kid, I go to be on the lake a lot… I always loved it,” he said. “I was lucky to grow up on a lake. It’s not a fancy place (Grand Junction). That was our bliss.”

O’Neill and most of his siblings were involved in athletics.

“You’re running non-stop,” O’Neill said. “When you go to the country, you have each other.”

John O’Neill recently began his term as president of the board of directors for The Watershed Foundation. He joined the foundation after volunteering with The Lilly Center for Lakes and Streams. Photo provided by The Watershed Foundation.

O’Neill and his wife, Lisa, moved to Warsaw approximately 10 years ago. Lake City Bank was looking for a new CFO and a recruiter recommended Lisa for the job. After interviewing, she received an offer.

O’Neill told her they were not working for Lake City, and not living on a lake, so they settled into a house on Chapman Lake.

“Lake City has been very good to us,” he said.

The couple have three children: Bill, Katharine and Kevin. Bill and Katharine just graduated from medical school and are enjoying some downtime at home before starting their careers.

Bill will be working in Arizona, while Katharine will be working in Indianapolis.

Kevin, a Warsaw Community High School graduate, just finished his freshman year at Kalamazoo College.

O’Neill said the move to Indiana allowed him to be closer to family, which helped him assist his older sister while she cared for their mother.

“Moving here was a big plus for my family,” he said.

O’Neill’s family still owns the cabin on Great Bear Lake. His father continued to purchase property and his sister inherited property their dad purchased on the other side of the Great Bear Lake.

“A lot of the lessons I learned here through The Watershed Foundation, I need to apply up there,” he said. “You need to keep learning and be open minded.”

One of those lessons is on conservation practices in farming. O’Neill said the issue of climate change is so important the Chicago Commodity started a climate commodity market in 1989.

“When you drive around here, when you see a field with a cover crop compared to one that doesn’t,” he said.

In addition to his work with The Watershed Foundation, O’Neill recently joined the Chapman Lake Association, which he describes as a new experience with applying for state fireworks permits and licenses

“The board is made up of good people, who care about the lake,” he said. “People love the lake … It’s about the experience.”