Eloise O'Neill

Eloise was born in the Bronx to Adele Klemas Flatow and Robert Flatow. Their marriage was brief and she gained a loving father when her mother married Abraham Frankel. Eloise considered her parents to be Abe and Adele Frankel.

In her youth, Eloise was a talented artist and aspiring ballet dancer. After her dance partner dropped her during a lift, she focused on painting and other art forms.

In 1985 she met her soulmate and husband, John O’Neill. Theirs is a love story for the ages.

Eloise’s many talents included horticulture, sewing, baking and pottery. The couple’s apartment on Austin Street boasts an incredible garden that Eloise and John created for their neighbors. The beautiful plants and flowers, planted, pruned, watered and cultivated by Eloise, and the wooden trellis’ and window boxes made by John bring enjoyment to all of the residents in their building. She also planted a vegetable garden with tomatoes, peppers and herbs.

Eloise was a talented seamstress. While her main job at Radio City Music Hall was as a tour guide for 27 years, she also helped with alterations for the Rockette’s uniforms. At the February 28, 2022 Legends Night recognition ceremony, honoring Eloise’s 25 years of service (postponed for two years due to Covid), Eloise’s bio stated that her favorite memory was seeing Celine Dion and Josh Groban rehearse for the Grammys. Her most EXCITING day was during a tour. She heard someone call out her name, only to turn around and see that it was Paul McCartney.

Another talent was pottery. Eloise taught a children’s pottery class on Sundays at The Potter’s Wheel in Kew Gardens. She made many friends there and her family is grateful for their attention during her illness.

Eloise was a City Girl at heart. She lived in Greenwich Village before moving to Forest Hills to live with John. She spent a brief time in Chicago and California in her 20”s and could never understand why no one walked in California. It is notable that she did not drive for most of her adult life. In the 1990s when she and John split their time between Forest Hills and White Meadow Lake, New Jersey, she obtained her driver’s license.

She valued her many friendships, never taking her friends for granted. She is survived by her husband, John, her sister, Lisa (Frankel) Keogh and John’s adoring siblings: Edward, Lorraine, Patricia, Kathleen, Maryann and their spouses and families.

In lieu of flowers, donations should be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital or to The Reform Temple of Putnam Valley, Box 232 Putnam Valley, NY 10579 www.rtpv.org