Martha Mason (Darnell) Gilmour - O'Neill |
| Posted 2009-12-07 by Judy Wight Branson |
| The East Valley Tribune, Arizona Wednesday, January 9, 2003 Martha Mason O'Neill, age 66, of Mesa, Arizona went home to the Lord, on January 26, 2003, at the Hospice of the Valley. She was born in San Diego, California, December 20, 1936. Martha started her life in Southern California and from a very young age, her mother, Doris saw that she possessed an incredible gift; Martha could carry a tune even before she could talk! Doris, an accomplished singer herself, launched her daughter Martha's entertainment career when she was only 11, singing and doing radio spots, playing first violin with the Whittier Symphony and at the age of 15, she was entertaining the troops as a USO performer at Camp Pendleton in Southern California. She was voted Miss Sweet 16 of Camp Pendleton in 1954. (What a knock out!). She graduated from Montebello High School in 1953 and attended Whittier College and Mesa Community College. In 1954, Martha married her first husband, drummer Doug Gilmour, soon after, her family began, and they moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. At the age of 30, she and Doug started a Las Vegas show group called "Martha Mason and the Music People". As her flare for show business, her love for people and her comedic talent bloomed, the show group was renamed, and rightfully so, "The Martha Mason Show". With a voice of silk and her quick comedic wit, the group was consistently booked at least 6 months in advance, working and performing all over the United States and Canada. They often performed in the show rooms of Lake Tahoe, Reno and Las Vegas. In 1973, Martha went to Nashville, where she recorded a song written by Kris Kristopherson entitled "Come Sundown", which soared to Number 10 on the Country Music Charts! In 1976, Martha married her loving friend, partner, and husband, Walter J. O'Neill in Las Vegas, Nevada. For the past 28 years, they've made their home in Mesa, Arizona, merging two wonderful families together. She traveled extensively with her husband in Latin America, Europe, the Philippines, Africa, China and the Middle East. Then tragedy struck... Her grandmother, Bessie Shippey was physically abused in a residential adult home care facility. after the devastating occurrence, Martha championed the cause and awareness of elder abuse here in Arizona. She lobbied for legislative changes in the elder abuse law to equate it with the punishment of child abuse, tripling the time served for the crime. Martha then founded the "Bessie Shippey Victims Assistance Fund" for the Area Agency on Aging, Arizona District for victims of elder abuse. She soon became active in civic affairs. She was the co-chair of the Maricopa County Elder Care Abuse Council. She served as president of the Tempe Adult Day Care Center from 1996-1998, and was on various board of directors, of local civic organizations. She was the 2000 recipient of the DIANA Award from Alpha Kappa and the 2000 Dr. Alice Drought Lifetime Achievement from the Area Agency on Aging, Region One. Martha's caring love for people and her heart for humanity spread to China, where she helped facilitate, through Global Interactions, two international women's conferences one of which was entitled, "Holding Up Half the Sky", bringing to the forefront, women's issues in China in the 1980's. She was also co-owner and editor of "Photovoltaics: The Solar Electric Magazine". In 1990, Martha, the entrepreneur, started Comfort Plus Home Medical Supply and became a southwestern distributor for Tranquility Incontinence Products for Arizona, New Mexico, and southern Nevada. Martha was an inspiration. She was a hero to many, a friend and advocate to all she met, and a loving wife. She was giving and deeply caring mother, sister and grandmother. Martha made lifelong friends whereever she went. Martha provided humor, insight, love of music, love of all cultures to everyone she met all over the world. She put on elegant parties and was legendary for her Easter Egg Hunts and brunches. Martha was always game for a jungle adventure, a costume party, a dance, or a songfest. She devoted her life, her gifts, and her talents unconditionally in unlimited measure. Heaven has acquired a true angel, and those of us remaining, will continue to bask in her loving memory. Her legacy will live on in her family and friends. She is survived by her adoring and grateful friend and husband, Walter J. O'Neill of Mesa; her brother Jorn Darnell of Las Vegas, Nev.; her ten children, Cheryl Williams of Dana Point, CA, Reverend Lori Gilmour of Scottsdale, Brett Gilmour of Tucson, Christy Carmon of Chandler, Mary Jo O'Neil of Phoenix, Kate O'Neill of Tempe, Nancy O'Neill of Tucson, Patrick O'Neil of Chandler, Jane O'Neill of Phoenix and Casey O'Neill of Scottsdale; her sister-in-law Carol Darnell; her brother-in-law, James J. O'Neill of Butte, Montana; sons-in-law, Gary Williams, Ernest Carmon, Jr., Bill Ryan, Mike Campbell, Tom Berning; daughter-in-law Peggy Newendyke; 17 grandchildren, Gary Williams Jr., Ashley Williams, Michelle Williams, Kelsey Gilmour, Brandon Carmon, Joshua Carmon, Natalie Carmon, Elizabeth Ann Carmon, Lena Ryan, Eric Duncan-O'Neill, Sean O'Neill-Ryan, Ian Campbell-O'Neill, Cody Campbell-O'Neill, Patrick Berning-O'Neill, Molly Berning-O'Neill, Riley O'Neill, Shea O'Neill, nephew Steve Darnell; and niece Gina Wood. The funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Timothy's Catholic Community at 1730 W. Guadalupe Road, Mesa, Arizona on Thursday, January 30, 2003 at 10:00 a.m. with internment to follow at Queen of Heaven Cemetery and reception at St. Tim's reception hall. There will be a public viewing from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. with a vigil service at 7:00 p.m. on Wednewday, January 29, 2003 at Lakeshore Mortuary at 1815 S. Dobson Rd, Mesa, Arizona. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to "Bessie Shippy Victims Assistance Fund" care of Area Agency of Aging, Region One at 1366 East Thomas, Suite 108, Phoenix, Az., 85210 in Martha O'Neill's honor. Courtesy of Pat Wilson |
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