Angelina Rose O'Neil

Angelina Rose Liciandrello O’Neil, 80, of Cape Elizabeth, Maine and Naples, Florida passed away unexpectedly of natural causes on Tuesday April 19th, 2016. Our beautiful, “Angela”, “Angie”, “Mom”, “Mimi” was born August 12th, 1935 in Binghamton, New York. The first of three children born to Mary Lukac Liciandrello and Joseph John Liciandrello. Angie spoke of many happy memories growing up and especially of her extended family and their vacations and special times together. Angie was a gifted student. During her freshman year of high school she invited her one true love, H. Timothy O’Neil to her sorority’s Sadie Hawkin’s dance. And as they say, “the rest is history”.

Angela attended Harpur College and hoped to be an actuary. Tim while away at college himself, feared she would “be swept away by another”. He proposed and they married in 1956, the summer before his senior year of college. Angie and Tim went on to have a busy and full life together with all the richness and challenges a life well lived offers. Tim and Ange were blessed with four children, nine grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Angie eventually returned to school while parenting us, rearing a hyper active Irish Setter and living with an even busier Irish man. She managed to graduate from UMPG Magna Cum Laude in 1970 with her B.A. and a teaching certificate. So began her twenty year career as an educator. Angela thoroughly embraced teaching and even the more challenging students and was often able to reach the unreachable. She made it a game, and knew she needed to gain their trust and develop their confidence to allow them greater access to learning. She spent countless hours planning and strategizing. She later found her niche teaching eighth grade Latin. Maybe it was her love of words that drew her to Latin: the daily Jumble, Cryptoquip, comics (Andy Capp and Prince Valiant), and the daunting number of books, newspapers, and periodicals that came to the house. She had a true quest for knowledge.

Our proudly Sicilian mom loved cooking for her family and entertaining while her children were growing up. She loved hosting Christmas Eve for neighbors and friends who became our extended family. Mimi loved making decorations and Christmas cookies with her grandchildren. She was currently working on a hard cover cook book with almost ninety of her almost famous recipes with her eldest grand daughter, Hannah Rose. Angie was an avid reader and supported the arts. She and Tim together loved the theater, music, and collecting art. They religiously attended a few plays or concerts a month with close friends or family. Our mom enjoyed attending anything from the Portland Symphony Orchestra to The Moody Blues. She absolutely loved seeing Bruce Springsteen live. So for a few years Tim got tickets wherever and whenever he was on tour. Mom loved to dance and was often caught singing and dancing to and by herself. Angela was socially conscious and generous. Early on she was active within the local Democratic Party. She enjoyed hosting fund raisers and even managed a successful mayoral campaign for a dear friend. All while attending her children’s activities and enjoying their many basketball, baseball, football games and swim meets. Angie was a life- long learner, a daily yoga practitioner for nearly fifty years, self- proclaimed health nut, and a teetotaler, merely for practical reasons. She gardened for years and grew her own vegetables. Tim even had a little green house built for her. Mom was organic before the country went organic. “Dr. O’Neil” to us, was always at the ready to research and offer medical advice.

When Angie stopped teaching she volunteered and served on local boards while thoughtfully and lovingly caring for her aging mother. Years prior, Tim won a “door prize”, a trip to Spain, that was it for her, she was bitten by the travel bug. Over the years they traveled extensively. She may have enjoyed their recent month long trip to China, the most. Mom dabbled in real estate, played tennis, and then found her true life passions: golf, bridge, and The New York Times crossword puzzle. Mimi and Papa have been happy snow birds for the past 25 years. When time allowed away from her interests, she also loved to see her grandchildren perform or compete. She loved sports and was a fierce competitor at heart. As a native New Yorker she reluctantly became a New England fan over time, but because of her fragile New England sports roots she could easily become contrary or a bit of a fair weather New England fan. Our mother really liked to win. She loved to watch golf anywhere any time.

Ange was quite riled up about the current U. S. Presidential race and recent world events. Angie followed MSNBC religiously. She was a tremendous fan and supporter of Hillary. Angela was always coiffed and well-dressed or she wouldn't receive you. Our mom’s sparkling green eyes, bright smile as evidenced by her photo which was taken just last week, will be sorely missed. She expected a great deal of herself, a true perfectionist. Self admittedly, her concern about not doing something well enough inhibited her daringness in some facets of her life. Angie worked diligently at introspection and bettering herself, her family and her world. A tiny tiny woman, often found on her tippy toes to gain stature, but to those who knew her there was no need, she was already a large presence possibly a force. Mom was proud of her family’s accomplishments, yet accepting of our foibles and humanness. Angie’s infectious laugh, quick wit, competitiveness, generosity, loving kindness, will be sorely missed. As Tim aptly stated, “This will be a hole we will struggle to fill”.

Angie is survived by her adoring husband of almost sixty years, H. Timothy O’Neil and their children and grandchildren: son Timothy M. O’Neil and his wife Cynthia M. O’Neil and their children Hannah Rose O’Neil and Lucas M. O’Neil; daughter, Katheryn “Kathy” O’Neil, Kathy and Stephen T. Randall’s sons, Corey O. Randall and his wife Hilary G. Randall, and J. Nicholas Randall; son Christopher M. O’Neil and his wife Beth N. Ahearn and their children Connor W. O’Neil and Katelyn Marie O’Neil; and daughter Mary E. O’Neil Fitzpatrick and her husband Paul M. Fitzpatrick and their daughter, Rachel Olivia “Liv” Schmidt; and Liv’s sisters, Heather A. Schmidt and partner, Michael Rinaldi and their son, Anthony Rinaldi and Berkeley Amanda Nappi and her husband Joshua Nappi and their daughter Tenley Grace Nappi. Angie is also survived by her sister, Joanne Lowe and her husband Larry Lowe; cousins, Rose and Francine, her treasured, Aunt Mary; and her chosen family, her in laws: Patricia “Patti” O’Neil Novak and her husband, Robert “Bob” Novak; and Gerald “Gerry” O’Neil and his wife, Marcia O’Neil.

Tim last saw Ange practicing her swing in front of the mirror readying herself for the second day of the Foxy Diva’s golf tournament. Tim was off to play tennis and bridge for the day and her last words to him were, “I love you and have fun”. Tim is taking her “last words” literally.

We will be hosting two Celebrations of Life, a cocktail party at Fox Fire Country Club in Naples, Sunday, May, 1st at 5 - 8pm.

And in Maine with a brief blessing by Angie’s dear friend, Reverend John “Don” Keegan, S.J., on Sunday, June 12th at 4 pm immediately followed by a cocktail party until 7 at Angie’s summer time haunt, The Portland Country Club.

She was truly a living, breathing, enigma which is why she is difficult to capture in a few paragraphs. And by then, hopefully, we will have begun to accept our new normal, this life without Angie. We will publish a reminder announcement with the hope that you may join us in June. We are grateful and truly touched by the sympathy and kindness shown to us both in Maine and Florida. It matters, you matter, we thank you.

Angie must be smiling, she was honored at the tournament luncheon and her team, “the pink ladies” won.

Angela’s most recent philanthropy was Gosnell Memorial Hospice because they took such loving care of her mother, Mary, former son in law, Steve, and countless others. If the spirit moves you in lieu of flowers you may honor Angie’s life by donating to:

Gosnell Memorial Hospice House

11 Hunnewell Road

Scarborough, Maine 04074