Denise M. O’Connell, age 58, of Barnesville, Ohio, passed away on December 29, 2025, at the WVU Medicine Barnesville Hospital Emergency Room. Her passing has brought deep sorrow to her family, friends, and the many community members whose lives she touched through her service, faith, and quiet acts of kindness.
Denise will be remembered as a gentle and devoted soul whose life was rooted in compassion, creativity, and unwavering dedication to the things she loved most.
A proud and active member of the VFW Post 2792 Auxiliary, Denise demonstrated a strong sense of service and respect for others throughout her life. Her involvement reflected her appreciation for community, fellowship, and honoring those who served.
She was known among fellow members as reliable, kind, and sincere someone who contributed not for recognition, but out of a genuine desire to help and belong.
Faith played a central role in Denise’s life, guiding her values and daily actions. She expressed her devotion most beautifully through music, particularly through her love of playing the organ. Denise lovingly shared her musical gifts with local churches, where her playing brought comfort, reflection, and joy to congregations.
For her, music was more than a talent it was a form of prayer and a way to connect deeply with her faith and with others. Those who heard her play will remember the warmth and reverence she brought to every hymn.
Outside of her service and music, Denise found happiness in the simple, nurturing joys of life. She had a deep love for her pets, who were constant companions and a source of comfort and affection. Her care for animals reflected her gentle nature and her capacity for unconditional love.
Denise also cherished gardening, finding peace and purpose in tending to plants and watching them grow. Her garden was a reflection of her personality patient, thoughtful, and quietly beautiful.
Denise is survived by her loving mother, Sharon H. (White) O’Connell, who shared a close and meaningful bond with her daughter. She is also survived by her beloved pets and her dear friend, Kari McGee, whose friendship provided companionship, support, and shared memories that will be treasured always.
Denise’s life, though not loud or showy, was rich with connection and meaning, and she will be deeply missed by those who knew her best.
Visitation will be held on January 2, 2026, at Campbell-Plumly-Milburn Funeral Home, where family and friends may gather to pay their respects and celebrate Denise’s life. Following the visitation, services will be held, and burial will take place at Hope Cemetery in Hendrysburg, Ohio.
These moments will offer an opportunity for the community to come together in remembrance, reflection, and gratitude for a life well lived.
Denise M. O’Connell leaves behind a legacy of faith, service, music, and gentle love. Though she is no longer with us, her spirit will continue to live on in the hymns she played, the gardens she nurtured, and the hearts of all who were blessed to know her.
