MEREDITH ---- Loving mother, grandmother and friend, scholar and raconteur, Elizabeth ‘Beth’ Murrie O'Neil, died at her home in Meredith, New Hampshire, on Tuesday, August 22, 2023, at the age of 87. Although declining health limited her mobility in recent years, she lived life “on the go.” Widowed upon the 1983 death of her husband, Robert ‘Bob’ O'Neil, who remained a vivid presence in her life, she relocated several times after her sons were grown, and she traveled widely. She was a vibrant woman who will be remembered for her fierce independence and sharp wit.
A voracious reader, theater and movie goer, Elizabeth loved good stories, whether in the pages of a book, on stage or screen, or shared by friends. Her taste ran the gamut from Martin McDonagh to Mike Birbiglia, and she often instructed visitors, “Tell me a good joke.” Because her laughter was infectious, attempts were made to comply. She binge-watched virtually every worthwhile offering on Netflix, PBS, Prime and Acorn with the sensibilities of a professional critic.
A passionate Democrat with an energetic ground game of phone banking and door knocking, she consumed—and colorfully commented on—political news until her final days. Her spirited election night parties, hosted for her inner circle, were legendary, either celebratory or mournful, depending on the day’s results.
Born in La Crosse, Wisconsin, Elizabeth studied at the University of Iowa and Rosary College in River Forest, Illinois. After graduating, she worked in the women’s fashion industry, first in Chicago then in New York City. There she met the love of her life, Bob, whom she married in 1960, and with whom she moved to the suburbs of Hartford, CT, to raise a family. She was active in many community organizations and cherished her neighbors, many of whom remained good friends throughout her life.
After her sons John and Matt were on their own, she moved to Boston, then Santa Fe, NM, then back to New York to experience life in locations offering a lot to explore. A lover of lakes since her childhood in Wisconsin with her grandparents, after several years of vacationing in the NH Lakes Region she and Bob bought a cottage on Lake Winnipesaukee in 1982, and she ultimately moved to Meredith full-time in 2003.
In the late 1980s, while studying at the University of St. Joseph in West Hartford, she was captivated by the poetry of Marcia Nardi, whom she befriended, and did a deep dive into Nardi’s work and relationship with poet and physician William Carlos Williams. In 1994 The University of Iowa Press published a book she compiled and edited, The Last Word: Letters between Marcia Nardi and William Carlos Williams, which was praised by literary publications as well as The New York Times. Typical of her, Elizabeth maintained contact with librarians and professors whom she consulted. She continued to nurture her love of learning at the Harvard Extension School while living in Boston and later as a participant in the ILEAD program at Dartmouth.
Her family is grateful for the wonderful care Elizabeth received in the last two and a half years from health aides she folded into her friendship circle, and the guidance and oversight provided by Lakes Region Hospice in her last week.
Family left behind will continue to be inspired by her example: brother Joseph J. ‘Joe’ Murrie and his wife Marie Montanjees of Kerikeri, New Zealand; son John and his wife Meagan, their children, Jack and Emma of Andover, MA and Moultonborough, NH; son Matthew and his daughter Sadie of Meredith, and caring in-laws. Elizabeth was predeceased by her parents Glen and Elizabeth (Felber) Murrie of La Crosse, Wisconsin.
To honor her memory, family members hope that you will keep your friends close and make them laugh—and that you will vote Democratic.
Elizabeth was buried alongside her husband in a private family ceremony at Fairview Cemetery in West Hartford.
A Memorial Gathering will be held on Saturday, September 9, 2023, in Meredith – contact [email protected] for further details.
For those who wish, memorial donations may be made to the Multiple System Atrophy Coalition.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services/603Cremations.com, 164 Pleasant St., Laconia, NH, 03246, is assisting the family with arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial, please visit wilkinsonbeane.com.