Connie O’Neil was known for her caring nature, both toward her family and toward her community.
The effects of this warmhearted, giving attitude can be seen daily at the Munroe-Meyer Institute.
Connie, who died in May at the age of 83, was the driving donor behind the aquatic center at MMI, one of the most popular parts of the new building.
“The aquatic center is one of the building’s gems,” said Director of the Munroe-Meyer Institute Karoly Mirnics, MD, PhD. “It not only showcases Connie’s generosity, but it shows how much she cared for individuals with disabilities. The pool brings the same joy to our clients as it did for her sister.”
An Omaha native, Connie attended Brownell Talbot High School and Rollins College.
She was a homemaker as well as a philanthropist.
In addition to raising her two children, Connie also cared for her sister Nancy Cowdery. Nancy was born with cerebral palsy in 1943 and was unable to walk or talk. She received rehabilitation services at MMI until her death in 2006.
Nancy loved swimming in the therapy pool, a plaque in front of MMI’s new pool reads. Swimming gave her a chance to leave her wheelchair, stretch her muscles and float in the warm water surrounded by her friends.
Nancy and Connie’s mother, Peggy Cowdery, led a campaign in the 1950s to unite critical partners for services for people with disabilities. As one of the results of that campaign, the C. Louis Meyer Memorial Therapy Center for Children, which became one of the major precursors to the Munroe-Meyer Institute, was established in 1959.
Connie continued her mother’s legacy by providing ongoing support for recreational activities for adults with disabilities at MMI. She also was the lead donor behind Nancy’s Place, the therapy pool at MMI that bears her sister’s name.
Connie was an incredible person and visionary who was instrumental in helping the MMI Recreational Therapy Department grow to where is today, said Nicole Giron, department director.
“Connie’s generosity, passion and heart, coupled with a belief that every person deserves dignity and respect, regardless of their differing abilities and physical limitations, has allowed us to provide exceptional social and therapeutic recreational activities at MMI and in the community,” Giron said. “We are ever grateful for Connie’s vision, her kindness and belief in our programs, and we will honor her legacy by continuing to care for people for decades to come.”
Through Connie’s generosity, Giron said, MMI has been able to provide activities including aquatic therapy, visual arts, music, cooking and adaptive cycling to enrich quality of life for participants throughout the lifespan.
“We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Connie O’Neil, whose boundless generosity illuminated the path of the mission of the Munroe-Meyer Institute,” said Brian Anderson from the University of Nebraska Foundation. “Connie has cemented her family’s legacy of compassion and commitment to individuals with disabilities in the Omaha area. The joyful memories of Connie live on in every person, in every smile and every splash at Nancy’s Place, the aquatics center at the Munroe-Meyer Institute.”
A committed if self-effacing advocate for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, Connie served on several charity boards dedicated toward enriching the lives of those living with disabilities and their caregivers.
Supporting individuals and children with disabilities, as well as their families, could be seen as one of Connie’s lifelong goals, said longtime friend Annie Bird, former president of the Munroe-Meyer Institute Board of Directors.
“She had a real zeal for giving from the heart,” Bird said.
Connie had a soft spot for MMI, in particular, Bird said, in part because of the services her sister received there.
“She knew firsthand the value MMI offers to families, that they care not just for the individual but the family and try to provide respite,” Bird said.
Omaha has many well-known leaders and philanthropists who have done wonderful things, Bird said. But, she added, Connie’s impact shouldn’t be underestimated merely because she stayed out of the limelight.
“We have a few people who are quiet leaders and quiet philanthropists. That was Connie,” Bird said. “She didn’t want anything focused on herself. She just wanted to take what she had and make things better.”
Connie was preceded in death by her sister Nancy. She’s survived by her son Timothy O’Neil and daughter Nancy O’Neil Nelsen, as well as sister Cindy McGowan, three grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
A celebration of life is set for July 12 at All Saints Episcopal Church in Omaha. Guests are encouraged to wear blue — Connie’s favorite color — and are invited to enjoy ice cream — her favorite dessert — after the service.