Providence, R.I.--Former Director of Alumni Affairs Ellie O'Neill passed away on July 18.
 
Ellie made many friends while here at the college until she retired in 2010. She had a very special affinity for intercollegiate athletics, RIC student-athletes and RIC athletic alumni.  O'Neill teamed with athletics on many events that involved all alumni at the college and, along with the athletic department staff, created the formal Homecoming that exists today.  
 
Though she wasn't the first to entertain the notion of hosting alumni events, she was extremely supportive of hosting alumni events across the country and spearheaded events in the southeast, west coast and mid-Atlantic areas. 
 
Director of Athletics Don Tencher, who very often accompanied Ellie and Vice President Peg Brown on these engagement initiatives recalls with a smile his and Ellie's first venture to Florida after being assigned the task of hosting an event in the Orlando area. 
 
"We had extremely limited resources so we stayed in a low-rate Residence Inn, which not only had sleeping space, but a kitchen and living room," Tencher remembers. "We went to the local Publix Market, bought lunch meats and rolls, etc. and made finger sandwiches. We basically catered the event in the hotel room where 12 people showed up to hear more about the great things going on at the college. Looking back on those years, we had very little money, lots of laughs and Ellie, for sure along with Peg Brown, played a critical role in the initiatives we embark on today and laid the groundwork for today's  extensive alumni organization. Ellie will be missed."

Click here to view O'Neill's obituary.