Mary (Miranda) O'Neill

MARY (MIRANDA) O’NEILL, 94, LOVING WIFE, MOTHER, AND GRANDMOTHER PASSED AWAY PEACEFULLY ON MONDAY, JUNE 22, 2020.

SHE WAS BORN TO THE LATE ALEXANDER AND MARY (SILVA) MIRANDA, ON FEBRUARY 8, 1926, IN NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT.  SHE GRADUATED FROM WILLIAMS MEMORIAL INSTITUTE, NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT IN 1944.  HER LOVE FOR LEARNING CONTINUED THROUGHOUT HER LIFE.

SHE MARRIED THE LATE EUGENE O’NEILL IN 1952.  WE WERE TOLD THAT THEY MET ON A BLIND DATE AND WE KNOW THAT DAD’S BLUE EYES, LOVE FOR DESSERTS, AND KINDNESS MADE FOR A GREAT MATCH.  THEY ENJOYED 41 YEARS OF MARRIAGE UNTIL HIS PASSING.

MARY SPENT MOST OF HER LIFE AS A HOMEMAKER RAISING THEIR FOUR DAUGHTERS IN NEW BRITAIN CONNECTICUT.  SHE WAS AN ENCOURAGING MOTHER WHO HELPED HER DAUGHTERS FIND THEIR PASSION IN LIFE.  SHE WAS THE GLUE THAT KEPT THE FAMILY TOGETHER.  MARY ALSO FOUND THE TIME TO VOLUNTEER AT CHURCH, TEACHING CONFIRMATION CLASS AT ST. MAURICE CHURCH AND TEACHING SEWING AND TAILORING AT THE YWCA.  HER FINISHED DRESSES AND COATS WERE WORKS OF ART.  SHE ALWAYS SAID, “LIFE IS IN THE DETAILS, A GARMENT SHOULD LOOK AS GOOD ON THE INSIDE AS THE OUTSIDE.”  FAMILY MEMBERS WERE VERY FORTUNATE TO BE GIFTED WITH THESE WORKS OF ART OVER THE YEARS: BEAUTIFUL BAPTISMAL GOWNS, FIRST HOLY COMMUNION DRESSES, DRESSES FOR HER GRANDDAUGHTERS WITH MATCHING DOLL OUTFITS.  SHE ALSO CREATED COSTUMES, PRINCESS GOWNS, PETER PAN, ROBIN HOOD, JUST TO NAME A FEW.   AFTER HER HUSBAND RETIRED THEY RETURNED TO THE FAMILY HOME IN NEW LONDON.  SHE SEWED FIRST COMMUNION DRESSES FOR THE ST. JOSEPH’S ANNUAL CHURCH BAZAAR FOR MANY YEARS.

MARY HAD A WONDERFUL SENSE OF STYLE AND A LOVE OF SHOES.  WE BELIEVE THAT SHE PASSED THIS ON TO AT LEAST A FEW OF HER DAUGHTERS.

HER PASSION FOR READING CARRIED HER THROUGH LIFE.  THE GRANDKIDS WHO CALLED HER GRANDMARY OR GM FOR SHORT WOULD OFTEN ASK HER HOW MANY BOOKS SHE HAD READ. SHE WAS THE LIFELINE TO THE HARD LITERARY JEOPARDY QUESTIONS EVERY NIGHT.  WHEN SHE RECOMMENDED A BOOK PEOPLE TOOK NOTICE. MARY WAS EAGER TO SHARE HER KNOWLEDGE AND LOVED TO HAVE A GOOD CONVERSATION. SHE HAD A BRILLIANT MIND AND A BEAUTIFUL CURIOSITY ABOUT THE WORLD AROUND HER.

AFTER HER HUSBAND PASSED SHE BRAVELY MOVED TO NEW MEXICO TO LIVE WITH HER DAUGHTER AND RESIDED THERE FOR 23 YEARS UNTIL HER PASSING.  SHE MADE A LIFE FOR HERSELF JOINING JAZZERCIZE, THE CHURCH CHOIR, AND EAST MOUNTAIN BOOK CLUB, JUST TO NAME A FEW ACTIVITIES.  SHE ALSO ENJOYED TRAVELLING ON FAMILY VACATIONS AND CHERISHED TRIPS TO PORTUGAL, ESPECIALLY WITH HER SISTER LORETTA.

MARY IS SURVIVED BY HER FOUR DAUGHTERS, CHRISTINE O’NEILL OF NEW BRITAIN CT, CATHERINE (JOSEPH) JAZWICZ AND MARIANNE O’NEILL BOTH OF ROCKY HILL CT AND CONSTANCE (SAVERIO) SAVA OF EDGEWOOD NM.  SHE IS ALSO SURVIVED BY HER GRANDCHILDREN, GENE (CAOIMHINA) SAVA OF QUEENS NY, KATERI, CLAIRE, AND JOSEPH SAVA OF EDGEWOOD, NM AND JOSEPH AND HANNA JAZWICZ OF ROCKY HILL CT.  HER SISTER LORETTA HACKETT OF NEW JERSEY ALSO SURVIVES HER ALONG WITH MANY NIECES AND NEPHEWS WHO LOVINGLY REFERRED TO HER AS AUNT MOTTIE.

MARY WAS A MEMBER OF JOHN XXIII CATHOLIC CHURCH IN ALBUQUERQUE. A PRIVATE SERVICE AND BURIAL WILL TAKE PLACE IN WILLIMANTIC CT. SHE WILL BE BURIED NEXT TO HER HUSBAND, AT ST. JOSEPH’S CEMETARY WILLIMANTIC CT.