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Sister M. Margarella O'Neill, OSF

Sister M. Margarella O' Neill, OSF

Sr. M. Margarella O' Neill, OSF, president of Neumann College from 1983 to 1989, passed away on Saturday, March 18. Her funeral liturgy is scheduled for Thursday, March 23, at 3 p.m. at Assisi House, the Aston retirement community for the Sister of St. Francis of Philadelphia.

During her presidency, Neumann College built the Life Center, which houses the Thomas A. and Mary A. Bruder Athletic Center, the Fred P. Meagher Theatre, and the campus dining facility. She also added a vice president for mission and campus life to the College leadership team as part of an ongoing effort to promote Catholic values on campus.

In the field of academics, Sr. Margarella was instrumental in the expansion of undergraduate programs at the College. Under her leadership, Neumann added new majors, such as computer and information management, psychology, and business administration, to the curriculum. She served as Neumann's academic dean for nine years before ascending to the presidency.

Sr. Margarella's contributions to higher education include co-founding the College of Nursing at Villanova University and serving as its associate director. It was the first baccalaureate nursing program in a Catholic institution of higher education in Eastern Pennsylvania. She also served as director of the school of nursing at St. Joseph Hospital in Lancaster, Pa. and director of nursing services at St. Francis Medical Center in Trenton, NJ. Within the congregation of the Sister of St. Francis, Sister Margarella served as Assistant General Council for eight years.

Dr. Rosalie M. Mirenda, president of Neumann College, recalls that "Sr. Margarella served Neumann with great courage, humility, and tremendous faith in all of us who worked with her. Sister's love of Neumann College, its students and graduates was surpassed only by her love of God, her Sisters in religious life and her vocation."

After her presidency, Sr. Margarella served as the director of clinical education and the director of mission effectiveness at Assisi House until 1994.

From The Catholic University of America, she received a B.S.N., an M.S.Ed. in administration nursing education, and a Ph.D. in sociology. She also studied at St. Joseph College in Cincinnati, the University of Notre Dame, and the Catholic Health Assembly Colloquium in governance of health care administration. Villanova University and Neumann College awarded her honorary doctorate degrees.

Sr. Margarella was born in Philadelphia on August 6, 1919, to Nellie and Barney O’Neill. A graduate of Incarnation Grade School and John W. Hallahan High School for Girls, she entered the Franciscan congregation in 1941 and was professed in 1944.

3/20/06