Elinor O’Neil

Elinor (Swide) O’Neil of Hingham passed away on December 25^th at the age of 87. 

She was the daughter of the late Albert Swide and Mathil (Dow) Swide and beloved wife of the late Joseph F. O’Neil and sister of the late Emily Boosahda. She is survived by two daughters, Allison O’Neil and her husband Patrick Fischoeder of Boston and Jennifer O’Neil and her husband Eric Merithew of Dedham as well as four beloved grandchildren Tillie and Coco Fischoeder and Ethan and Grace Merithew.  She is also survived by sisters Lorraine Aziz of North Falmouth, Elaine Pew of Alna, Maine and Linda Foley of Seattle, Washington as well as many cousins, nieces and nephews.

Elinor grew up in Roslindale and graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a B.S. in Chemistry. She worked for the state and federal Food and Drug Administration for several years before leaving the workforce to raise her two daughters. She lived in Hingham for 43 years and enjoyed summers in Gray Gables, Bourne. She was a member of the Hingham Ladies Club since its inception and held many leadership positions within the organization. She valued her many friends from the Hingham Ladies Club especially her bridge and mahjong groups who regularly checked in on her. 

Elinor was a talented cook and enjoyed hosting gatherings with her family and friends. She was well-known for the beautiful gardens that she kept at her homes in Hingham and Bourne. Elinor enjoyed sewing, making beaded necklaces and spending time with her family. Her family took solace in that she joined her husband on one of their favorite holidays, Christmas day.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Arthritis Foundation or the American Heart Association. Funeral Mass will be held at Resurrection Church in Hingham on January 12th at 10 AM. Celebration of life to be held at a later date.