RIP Mr. O'Neal

Former Elgin High principal, community leader dies at 68
By Larissa Chinwah Daily Herald Staff
Published: 12/31/2009 12:00 AM
Ron O'Neal, a veteran educator who worked his way up the ranks from a teacher in a small Illinois town to become the first black principal in the state's second largest school district passed away Tuesday in his Elgin home. He was 68.

Funeral services will be held at noon Saturday at the Second Baptist Church, 1280 Summit St., Elgin. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until noon.
O'Neal will be buried at Elmwood Cemetery in Centralia, Ill.
Friends said O'Neal was known for his dedication to students, as well as the Elgin community, paving the way for other African-American educators and administrators.

"One thing I always remarked about was that no matter the event - whether it was before school, after school, or in the evening - he was there," said Elgin Mayor Ed Schock, who worked alongside O'Neal in Elgin Area School District U-46. "You wondered if he was ever not at school."

O'Neal taught school at Lincoln Elementary School in Centralia, Ill., before taking the position of principal at Sheridan Elementary School in 1970, becoming the first black administrator in U-46. He later became principal at Larsen Middle School and ended his career as principal at Elgin High School in 2001.

His wife of 38 years, Carolyn O'Neal, described her husband as a very dignified man with lots of pride.

"He was a hard worker at anything he did," she said. "Any job he was undertaking that he thought was worthy was worth him doing the best he could."

O'Neal held others to those high standards, too, including his three children. "Our kids didn't have a choice," Carolyn O'Neal said.

Robert Gilliam, who worked with O'Neal in U-46, said O'Neal stressed the importance of education through his contributions to scholarship funds and devotion to students.

When asked to contribute to the St. James Church scholarship fund, O'Neal would cry poor in jest, but always come through with a very generous donation, Gilliam said.

"Ron was a very generous man who gave a lot of time and money to help students go to college," said Gilliam, an Elgin City Council member. "He was top notch and will be hard to replace in the community."

O'Neal is survived by his wife, three children, five grandchildren and a number of nieces, nephews, family and friends. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Provena St. Joseph Cancer Care Center in Elgin.