Rash's Surname Index
Notes for Elizabeth Jane JORDAN
Jane Jordan Lea O'Neill, 82, a philanthropist who served on the boards of many Philadelphia institutions, died Tuesday of congestive heart failure at her home in Chestnut Hill.
Mrs. O'Neill died in the same home where she was born.
She supported any number of causes and organizations not only with her money but also with her time, effort and skill.
For instance, she was vice president of the boards of the Academy of Natural Sciences and the Morris Arboretum, and she was a founding member of Philadelphia Conservationists.
But her greatest involvement was with Episcopal Community Services, serving on the board for many years and as president in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Episcopal Community Services, the social-services arm of the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Philadelphia, honored her in 1995 with its first Jane J. O'Neill Award, in recognition of her time on the board.
After attending Springside School in Philadelphia and Garrison Forest School in Baltimore, Mrs. O'Neill immediately immersed herself in community service, beginning as a volunteer for the United Way.
As the years passed, her commitment grew deeper.
She performed social work through Christ Church and taught citizenship courses at Philadelphia High School for Girls, which led to radio commentaries on civic matters for the League of Women Voters.
She served on the boards of Philadelphia Divinity School and Chestnut Hill Academy and was president of Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Lincoln Day Nursery, and Episcopal Community Services.
She also was active with St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Chestnut Hill.
Mrs. O'Neill was a dedicated outdoorswoman who enjoyed cross-country skiing, skating, fishing and hiking, among other activities.
Her well-honed sense of adventure even prompted her to try hang gliding when she was in her 70s, family members said.
Mrs. O'Neill is survived by sons Sydney Lea and John Lea; daughters Jane Lea and Ellen Disston; a stepson, Bertram O'Neill; and 13 grandchildren.
A son, Mahlon Lea, died in 1980. Her first husband, Sydney Lea, to whom she was married for 24 years, died in 1966. Her second husband, Bertram L. O'Neill, to whom she was married for 31 years, died in July.
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