You didn’t have to spend much time with Ann O’Neill to feel as if you knew her well.
Several years ago, during a stint as editor of The Narragansett Times, I would talk to O’Neill, president of the South County Tourism Council, on a fairly regular basis. I remember her dogged determination to bring a national lighthouse museum to Narragansett.
In the end, as I recall, the museum opted for New York. But it was a close call and O’Neill nearly pulled it off.
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I also remember that O’Neill always called back – always made time to answer a question or share information.
More recently, she has been a source for us here at Providence Business News, always willing to share her perspective on the tourism industry.
This past September, O’Neill was a panelist for a discussion we sponsored on the financial impact of the tourism industry.
She talked about the importance of tourism as an economic generator in southern Rhode Island and about the growing need for hotel rooms in that area. She also talked about how important it is to add new things, like the fast-ferry service that now runs from Quonset to Martha’s Vineyard.
I feel fortunate to have crossed paths with O’Neill, who died just a couple
of weeks ago. Those who knew her well are even more fortunate.
Always an idea to discuss
Often, Ted Wright would be home having supper and his telephone would ring. Chances are, if it wasn’t a telemarketer, it was Ann O’Neill, who would still be at her office on Tower Hill Road. When O’Neill had what she thought was a good idea, there was no better time than the present to discuss it with Wright, a former state legislator and longtime political figure in South County, who is now the executive director of the Narragansett Chamber of Commerce.
The last time he took one of those calls, said Wright, O’Neill was wondering about the trolleys in Providence. With all the talk of reducing that service, O’Neill wondered if they might be a good fit for South County.
Wright is going to miss that unabashed enthusiasm – that spontaneity.
Friends and colleagues in the tourism industry used words like “pioneer” and “visionary” to describe her.
She was born in Central Falls and graduated from East Providence High School. She went to the University of Rhode Island and became a permanent fixture in South County. She met William O’Neill, her future husband, at URI. The couple had four children. William was a longtime legislator, serving in both the Senate and House.
Prior to being named president of the South County Tourism Council in 1988, Ann O’Neill was vice president of the Narragansett Chamber of Commerce and later executive director of the South Kingstown Chamber of Commerce.
She garnered numerous awards through the years, including Rhode Island’s Travel Person of the Year by Yankee Magazine (1991), the Hope Award from the Rhode Island Commission on Women (1994), and the Rhode Island Tourism Achievement Award (1997).
Wright was a longtime friend of William and Ann O’Neill. Ann, he said, “always had ideas.” And most importantly, he said, she was quick to share them. For Ann O’Neill, it was never about getting credit – it was about getting things done.
“She could really make you feel wanted – accepted,” said Wright. “She could get the best out of everybody.”
So much of Ann O’Neill was about South County. She was a member of the Wakefield Rotary, the University of Rhode Island Alumni Association and the Women’s Club of South County. She was also active in the Health Center of South County and the South County Museum.
But in a credit to her unselfishness, the void left by O’Neill’s death will surely be felt statewide.
David C. DePetrillo, the state’s director of tourism, attended many a conference with O’Neill. She would just love to talk about the beaches of South County and the wonderful restaurants there. But she was just as enthusiastic, he said, in sharing the nuances of Newport, northern or central Rhode Island – and Westerly.
“When we went to trade shows, she was able to sell any part of the state … she was happy to do that,” said DePetrillo. “She was happy to give the limelight to others. She was a team player.”
The tourism industry, by its very nature, can sometimes fall into factions. But, said DePetrillo, O’Neill would always rise above that.
“She knew the big picture,” said DePetrillo. “And while she always kept South County in the forefront, she was someone I could always call on in terms of moving forward regarding tourism policy.”
Ann O’Neill was a true diplomat for Rhode Island. We’re all going to miss her.
