Edward O'Neill

Edward Thomas O'Neill, Jr. passed away peacefully at Newport Hospital on March 31, 2025. Born to Edward and Rita O'Neill on February 22, 1946, Ed was affectionately referred to as "Tiger" by his closest friends, and was later known as "Grr" to his beloved grandchildren. Ed grew up in Milton, MA and graduated from Boston College High School in 1963 and the University of Notre Dame, where he played ice hockey, in 1967.

Ed married his high school sweetheart and the love of his life, Patricia Sweeney O'Neill, in 1969. Since Pat is the oldest of ten children, Ed became a fixture at the Sweeney house before some of his future in-laws were born, and the pair often toted younger siblings along on their dates. Within weeks of their marriage, Ed was deployed to South Korea with the Army. Pat joined him there for six months before they were transferred to Heidelberg, Germany. After his active duty, Ed and Pat spent three months traveling through Europe before returning home.

Ed followed a family legacy of public service and began a lifelong commitment to the betterment of communities. He worked as Assistant Town Manager then Town Manager of Walpole, MA from 1972 to 1979. After he earned his Master's Degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in 1980, Ed and Pat moved their family to Cheshire, CT where he served as Town Manager from 1980 to 1997. Ed then shifted into commercial real estate, working for Calcagni Real Estate for 20 years.

After decades of spending their weekends driving between Cheshire and their favorite spot on Easton's Point in Middletown, RI, Ed and Pat officially retired there in 2016. Grr quickly took on the role of "Grruber," shuttling his grandchildren to sports, activities, and playdates. No matter the endeavor, he was their biggest supporter, always inspiring them to be their best.

Ed knew that the simple things in life were the most important. Every day, he diligently read the newspaper from cover to cover (often mailing clippings to those he thought would enjoy a particular piece), solved the world's problems from his arm chair, and bantered over the latest sports news and stats. From watching Bob Dylan go electric at Newport Folk Festival to spending his most recent birthday at a Billy Joel concert, Ed also had a great passion for music and you could always find him tearing up the dance floor. He was also a man of style, famously wearing the same red pants to the family Fourth of July cookout for decades. Ed ended each day enjoying a Dewer's while watching the sunset.

More than anything, Ed's greatest joy was spending time with his family and friends. Every Sunday morning, he cooked eggs and bacon, with granddogs under foot. There was always a seat at the dinner table for any friend or friend of a friend who walked through the door. He loved learning people's stories and countless hours were spent around the table discussing school, work, travel, current events, memories, and nonsense. If life's success were measured in laughs, his cup runneth over.

In addition to his beloved wife of 55 years, Patricia S. O'Neill, Ed leaves his three children, Meaghan O'Neill (Kurt Edenbach) of Newport, RI; Sarah Fernandez (Drew) of Middletown, RI; and Colin O'Neill of New Orleans, LA; four grandchildren, Edward "Teddy" and Carolina Fernandez of Middletown, RI and Nicholas and Oona Edenbach of Newport, RI; his sister, Nancy O'Neill of Milton, MA; his cousins, Maura Overlan of Middletown, RI; Frank O'Neill (Juanita) of Milton, MA; and Jim O'Neill (Sandy) of Weymouth, MA, as well as several sisters- and brothers-in-law, dozens of nieces and nephews, and many dear friends that spanned generations.

Ed is predeceased by his parents, Edward and Rita O'Neill and his sister, Patricia A. O'Neill.

Our family would like to thank the wonderful nursing staff on Turner 4 at Newport Hospital, especially Kailen, who's care and compassion in his final weeks was a ray of light in this most difficult time.

A private Mass and Burial will be celebrated in the near future.

In honor of Ed's commitment to a better future, memorial donations may be made to the scholarship program at Martin Luther King Community Center, 20 Dr. Marcus Wheatland Blvd, Newport, RI 02840 https://mlkccenter.org/donate/