Eleanor (Ellie) O’Rourke O’Neill of Bristol, an East Bay, RI resident since 1976, passed away peacefully on July 18, 2026. Born in New York City in 1945 to the late William F. O’Rourke and Eleanor O’Rourke, and raised in New Rochelle, New York, she attended The Ursuline School in New Rochelle and then Ladycliff College in Highland Falls, New York, graduating in 1967. Shortly after graduation Ellie had a blind date with newly minted Second Lieutenant Stephen (Steve) O’Neill of West Islip, New York. They married in September 1968 and spent the next 58 years together raising and nurturing a loving, close-knit family and cultivating an extensive, cherished community of family and friends, first in New York City and since 1976 in the East Bay towns of Barrington and Bristol. Ellie deeply believed in service to others, and that belief shaped how she lived. Over the years she endlessly devoted her time, talent, and boundless energy to countless organizations and causes in the East Bay and across Rhode Island. Among the causes dearest to her have been those supporting children and families in need, and she was particularly proud to have served for the past fifteen years on the Board of Directors for Loaves and Fishes Rhode Island, a nonprofit serving the unhoused and working poor by providing food, clothing, hygiene products, and other basic necessities. These values were instilled by Ellie into her three children, each of whom were influenced by their mother’s example to choose careers in service of others. Ellie also gave back to her community through public service. She served as a PTA President in the Barrington Public Schools at least three times, and as co-president along with her husband Steve, led the initial efforts to expand Barrington High School’s public library. In 1986, she was the elected delegate representing District 87 (Barrington/East Providence) at the Rhode Island Constitutional Convention, receiving an award from Common Cause of Rhode Island in recognition of her work to make democracy more accessible to everyday Rhode Islanders. In 1988, she ran for and was elected to the Barrington Town Council. As a councilwoman, Ellie helped to create affordable housing for seniors in Barrington, oversaw the town’s first comprehensive plan, and was a champion for openness and transparency in local government. Moreover, during her years of devotion to family, friends and worthy causes, Ellie carved out a laudable professional career. For two years following college, she taught elementary school, first as a Catholic Lay Extension Volunteer in Liberal, Kansas, and then in Savannah, Georgia during Steve’s military service. She resumed her professional career in 1986, serving first as Assistant Program Director for Leadership Rhode Island and then as Director of Alumni Relations for Rhode Island College (RIC). She loved the RIC community and helped to build a program that connected its alumni from coast to coast. Even after her 2010 retirement Ellie took great pride in the RIC alumni she would meet and celebrated their success. Above all else, Ellie was devoted to her family and to her friends. In later years and since retirement she immensely enjoyed many hours of bridge, mahjong, canasta, and celebrating life’s big and small moments with her many dear friends and her family. She and Steve became frequent travelers throughout Europe, the Caribbean, and America’s Adventurelands, but her favorite trips were those they would take to visit their delightful grandchildren. Being their Mimi - reading to them, playing with them, cooking with them, and visiting the beach every summer with them - was one of the greatest privileges and deepest joys of her life. Ellie is survived by her husband Steve, her children Erin, Brendan and Caitlin, her son-in-law Jake, her daughter-in-law Margaret, and her beloved grandchildren Odin, Shania and Bowie. She is also survived by her twin brother Thomas O’Rourke and his wife Denise, her sister Cathy Edsall, her sister-in-law Mary O’Neill, and by brothers-in-law Joseph O’Neill and his wife Carmen, Brian O’Neill and his wife Tracy Sallows, and Kevin O’Neill and his partner Claudia Viera. She is also survived by her “surrogate granddaughter” Mairéad O’Neill, numerous nieces and nephews, and the widest circle of friends imaginable, all of whom were devoted to her and awed and inspired by the light she shone on our world and upon their lives. In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her beloved brothers William F. O’Rourke, Jr. and James O’Rourke, as well as her mother and father-in-law, Margaret and Joseph O’Neill. Ellie asked that anyone choosing to honor and remember her life and generous spirit consider a donation to Loaves and Fishes Rhode Island or to their local food pantry. The O’Neill family is planning a Celebration of Life in September.