Ruth Davis O’Neil died January 4, 2013 at the age of 87 after a long struggle with Alzheimer ’s disease.
Ruth was the dear and devoted wife of Edward J. O’Neil (Ret. Superintendent, B.P.D.). Loving mother of Donna Jean (Dudzik) Prezelski and her husband Frank of AZ, Diane (Dudzik) Murphy and her husband Edward of FL, Nancy Eckersley of Sudbury and Dr. Edward J. O’Neil Jr. and his wife Judy of Newton. Cherished grandmother “Gamma” of Mandee, Samuel, Jake, Allie, James, Michaela and Sean. Dear sister of Dorothy O’Neil of Randolph and George Davis of FL. Dear sister-in-law of the late Francis Paul O’Neil of West Barnstable. She is also survived by several loving nieces and nephews.
During the waning years of her life, her husband Edward showed a selfless devotion in caring for her; for many years at home, and then as her constant companion in the two exceptional facilities into which her decline warranted her admittance, starting in 2010. Edward helped her through the hardest of times, never complaining, all the while demonstrating a depth of love that humbled all who witnessed it, and seared into our minds such a profound show of emotion and love that we can never forget. Ruth also received expert and compassionate care from Dr. Paul Burns and various staff at St Elizabeth’s, Compassionate Care Hospice, and the staffs of the Sunrise Nursing Home in Norwood and, more recently, the Deutches Altenheim German Centre in West Roxbury. Our family would like to express our heartfelt thanks to the staff and support staffs of both facilities, with a particular thanks to Mary Labadini at Sunrise, and to Mary Ellen Walsh at Altenheim, where the nursing care was exceptional. We felt love and compassion from the entire staff of both facilities, for which we will be eternally grateful.
Ruth was born in Detroit, Michigan on September 15, 1925 to William and Violet (Hunt) Davis. She had two younger siblings, Dorothy, and George. She was raised in the Upham’s Corner section of Dorchester, MA and graduated from Jamaica Plain High School in 1941, before attending Mount Ida College. She met the love of her life, Edward O’Neil in a Quincy Restaurant called The Hollow while he was on leave from the US Navy in 1943. Ruth lived briefly in Washington DC, moving back to Boston in 1955 where she reconnected with Edward. They married in 1956; Nancy and Edward Jr. soon joined Ruth’s other two children, Donna and Diane.
Ruth worked in a number of jobs throughout her life, bringing elegance, wit, intelligence and joy to each new position. She was as an administrative assistant at The Capezio Corporate Offices, at Mission Church, and for the Regional Director of H & R Block. In the latter position, she secured the regional H & R Block offices for the political campaigns of Kevin H. White, for whom she worked for several years. A naturally gregarious woman and gifted organizer, she worked on many political campaigns in her life, including those of Kevin H. White and Frank Bellotti.
A gifted interior designer with impeccable taste, she decorated many houses over the years. Passionate about antiques, she founded MacNeil’s, an antique business she ran for many years with her good friend Pat MacKay. Perhaps her greatest artistic creation involved turning a decrepit old West Roxbury house built in 1830 into a showplace of early American design. Ruth was self taught, with a sharp, discriminating eye that produced beautiful and perfectly matched results. She and her husband Edward spent many years refurbishing the house, a never ending task that was always peppered with spirited banter among them and their many “helpers.”
She was the ultimate hostess, with many people finding their way to the O’Neil’s’ for a memorable evening. During many a night, the sounds of laughter, song and merriment emanated from the O’Neil household, with Ruth at the center of it all. Many of Boston’s well known found their way to Ruth’s heart. Charles Laquidara often stopped by after his WBCN morning “Big Mattress” radio show. Albert “Dapper” O’Neil, Bob Crane, Joe Walsh, Kevin White, Ray Flynn, Tom Menino, Dennis Eckersley and several other professional athletes all found themselves captivated by her warmth, wit, and charm. Celebrity or not, she treated all the same. She knew the names of every store clerk, butcher, and gas station attendant in her local travels, as well as the names of their children and friends. All found in Ruth an engaging, resplendent, and vivacious woman.
“Ruthie” was unforgettable to anyone who knew her or even met her briefly. She was a strikingly beautiful, smart, funny, impeccably dressed woman who shared her thoughtful views clearly and without hesitation. She exuded class and impressed all with the force of her personality and her uncanny knack for saying exactly the right thing at the right time. She was a Christian woman who showered love on her family, friends, and strangers alike. She was always the first to arrive when illness, sorrow, or loss visited friends or neighbors, providing a strong shoulder and a compassionate voice in the darkest of times. She told her children many times, “There but for the Grace of God, go I,” and demonstrated, time and again through the power of her example that words alone would never suffice. She put her ideals into action, leaving a legacy of compassion toward others that has shaped her children and grandchildren alike. Mom, “Gamma”, Ruthie, we all love you and will miss you always. We will carry you in our hearts forever.
Befitting Ruth's remarkably beautiful life, Rev. Oscar Pratt celebrated a beautiful Funeral Mass January 9, 2013 at Holy Name Church in West Roxbury.
Please make contributions in Ruth’s memory to the Alzheimer's Association Massachusetts/New Hampshire Chapter
480 Pleasant St. Watertown, MA 02472
Interment St. Joseph Cemetery.