Suzanne Meads O’Neil died peacefully on Sunday November 5, 2023 at her home in West Mt. Airy after a battle with breast cancer. Born on December 8, 1952 to parents Donald E. Meads and Jane Lightner Meads, she lived in 4 different states throughout her childhood, spending notable time in Wayzata, MN and graduating high school in New Canaan, CT. She attended Wesley College in Dover, DE and after graduation, settled in the Philadelphia area. She married T. Edward “Ted” O’Neil on October 24th, 1981 and together they raised their 3 children in Erdenheim, PA.
Suzanne loved being a mother and working with kids. Working 20 years at Delaware Valley Friends School, she designed and launched a business curriculum that had students running the school’s Lunch Program. Later in life she worked as a substitute teacher for Philadelphia area schools, bringing her joy and lots of great stories.
Suzanne had a great sense of humor. Her stories and one liners were pure entertainment. She let life take her wherever it wanted to go, and that “go-with-the-flow” attitude made her so easy to be around. Her friends and acquaintances immediately felt comfortable around her.
She was creative, artistic and very talented. Alongside her best friends, she ran “Stone Age” for over 10 years where she made and finished top quality garden statuary that still stands throughout the Philadelphia area. Whether it be painting, pottery or gardening, she loved working with her hands and her perspective on life shone throughout her work. Perfect and normal is boring!
In her free time, Suzanne enjoyed the simple things. Walking her Newfoundland (Madam) in Carpenter’s Woods, painting in her dining room, sitting in front of the fire catching up with friends and spending quality time with her family. She was a spiritual person and passed away with a smile on her face, perhaps from seeing beauty in the great that awaits.
The lessons to take from Suzanne are simple: Enjoy the little things, be a teacher to the next generation and don’t take life too seriously.
Suzanne is survived by her husband Ted O’Neil, her 3 children Sarah Tocci (Joseph), Jennifer Horton (Mack) and Harrison O’Neil, her 6 siblings Edward Meads (Susie), Robert Meads (Laurie), Lawrence Meads (Mindy), Jody Antrim (Robert), Clifford Meads (Patsy) and Nancy Chapin (Roy) and her in-laws Suzanne K. O’Neil, David O’Neil, Ginny de Liagre and Betsy Smith (Richard).
A service for Suzanne will be held at 1:00 on Saturday, December 2nd at St. Thomas’ Church in Ft. Washington, PA. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Friends of the Wissahickon, in support to help care for the 1,800-acre Wissahickon Valley Park that Suzanne enjoyed every day. fow.org/tribute
