Sister Denise O'NEILL

O'NEILL, Sister Denise, RSHM
A Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary for 79 years, Sister Denise O'Neill, died on Monday, June 24, 2013, at the age of 97, at Regina Residence in Orange. She was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1915 and was educated there. She began her Novitiate in Tarrytown, New York, in 1934, and received a BA in French from Marymount College and an MA in Music Education from Columbia University. Later she did studies at the Sorbonne, Paris, and in Bogota, Colombia.

Her educational ministry brought her to a myriad of places world wide: Marymount High School, Los Angeles; Marymount School, Fifth Avenue, NY; Marymount School, Barcelona; SHM Schools in Sag Harbor, Marmion Avenue, Park Terrace, and St. Thomas Aquinas in the New York area. Her next 20 years took her to Marymount, Bogota, Marymount Medellin, and Guacamayas Mission School in Colombia. She loved her time "in the bush" as she visited many outlying mission areas on her donkey. Sister Denise also taught English at a Minor Seminary in Colombia. Her ministry later took her to Marymount Cuernavaca, Mexico, and to Zimbabwe in Africa.

In 1986 she returned to Los Angeles where she became involved in parish ministry to senior citizens at St. Finbar's in Burbank. She could be seen in her Honda Accord visiting the sick and taking Communion to the homebound. In 1998 she actively retired to the Community Center and Casa Guadalupe. In 2005 she went to Regina Residence.

Sister Denise was always a person "in motion" never wanting to be still. Well into her high 90's she was at daily Mass, meals, and ready in an instant for a ride in a car. She had a unique sense of humor, loved music, loved animals, especially dogs, and was most independent in every way.

She is predeceased by her parents and brothers and will be missed by her cousins, especially Mona Battel and Sister Angela Downes, a Poor Clare nun, as well as her RSHM and other Religious Community Sisters, all those at Regina Residence who lovingly cared for her, and her worldwide friends.

Mass of the Resurrection will be at Sacred Heart of Mary Chapel, 441 No. Garfield Avenue, Montebello, 90640 on Friday, June 28, at 11:00 a.m. After a reception, burial will be at Holy Cross Cemetery, 5835 W. Slauson Avenue, Culver City, at 2:00 p.m.

Callanan & Woods Scovern Mortuary Glendale
in charge of arrangements
(818) 242-0258
www.callanancares.com