Corinne A. O'Neil

Corinne A. (Neves) O’Neil, 92, of Dartmouth, passed away peacefully on Friday, April 5, 2024. She was the devoted wife of her high school sweetheart William L. O’Neil, who passed away in January of this year.

Born in Fall River, Corinne was a loving mother to six children, eleven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. She will be remembered for her love of life's simple joys… time spent with family, the company of good friends, and laughter.

A 1953 graduate of Emmanuel College, Corinne had a dual major in Art and Biology. At Emmanuel, “Corky” made loyal friendships that sustained her for the next 70 years. An accomplished watercolor artist, Corinne was able to perfectly capture the beauty of a perennial garden, or a sand dune near the water’s edge.

Corinne retired after a long career as a Special Education Teacher and Reading Specialist from the Ashley School in New Bedford. A devoted Catholic, Corinne was a communicant of Saint Julie Billiart Parish where she was an enthusiastic member of the Ladies Guild and a former CCD teacher.

Corinne loved animals, working in her garden, and sails in Buzzards Bay with “Bill,” whom, as her children know, she married above all else, because she could not resist the way he made her laugh. Corinne’s outlook saw her and Bill through life’s ups and downs, and blessings big and small, during their 70 years of married life together.

Corinne is survived by her children, Jane O. Gomes (Alan), Lisa O. Whittaker (Robert), Carolyn O’Neil-Smith (Richard), William J. O’Neil (Mary) and Christopher P. O’Neil (Maureen); her grandchildren, Jesse R. Cook, Erin O. DiPalma (Michael), Allison Thomson (Alex), Kerry A. Whittaker (Alan), Nathan R. Whittaker (Caitlin), Andrew T. and Julianne O’Neil-Smith, Mary Kate and Liam C. O’Neil, Katelyn Marie O’Neil (Josef Balles) and Wade C. O’Neil; her great-grandchildren, Finley and Spencer DiPalma, George E. Thomson and Otto Balles; and many beloved nieces, nephews and dear friends. She was predeceased by her daughter, Corinne M. O’Neil, her parents Francisco DeMello Neves and Maria Izabel (Frias) Neves, and her brothers Frank, Everett and Albert.

Her Funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 12, 2024 at St. Julie Billiart Church, 494 Slocum Rd., Dartmouth, followed by burial in St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Robeson St., Fall River. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Corinne’s memory to Humane Society & Shelter Southcoast, 31 Ventura Drive, Dartmouth, MA 02747. See https://hsssc.org/ for online giving.

For online tributes, please visit: www.waring-sullivan.com