Lucille McNeil

Lucille C McNeil, nee Lucille Claire Joyal, was born on August 12, 1932, to John and Beatrice Joyal, the third of four children, Ruth, Helen and Donald, in Burlington, Vermont. She is preceded in death by her brother Donald, her son Patrick Michael McNeil, daughter-in-law Susan Jennings, and her great-grandson, Brandon Ruizzo. She is survived by six children, Janice Ruizzo (Donald), James Jennings, Jacqueline Ruizzo (Gary), Jeri Vieira (John), Roland McNeil (Judy), and Catherine McNeil. There are 10 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great-grandchildren. The family moved from Vermont to Esmond, Rhode Island, where Lu grew up. Lu always loved music, and especially singing. She had a beautiful, clear singing voice. She and her two sisters sang 3-part harmony on live radio shows while they were all quite young. She loved going with her Dad to the French Quadrilles, where they would take part in a type of square dance. Her Dad, Jackie, also took her to Fenway Park in Boston, to see the Red Sox play baseball. She was a rabid fan all her life and knew all the players’ names for generations! Lu’s Uncle Georgie was her favorite relative, Dad’s brother, funny and handsome. WWII happened during her teen years. She begged Uncle Georgie not to join up, not to go to war, but he did. He never came back from France, and she grieved for him her whole life. When she grew up, she married James B Jennings, Jack. They moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee and Lu’s time was occupied with three children, Janice, James, and Jacqueline. She didn’t really enjoy her time in the South. She was alone with the kids a lot, and these were pre-air conditioning days in the Fifties. Plus, no Red Sox, as there were no radio stations broadcasting the games. Eventually Lu and Jack divorced, and Lu was back in Rhode Island raising three kids alone. Then she met up with and married Roland McNeil, someone whose family she had known since they were kids. Lu and Roland lived in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, home to the Pawtucket Red Sox farm team. She liked that! They had three children, Jeri, Roland Jr, and Patrick (who tragically died at 4 months of age). In 1965 there was a TV call-in show named Dialing for Dollars. One day Lu won a whopping $330! This was enough for the down payment on a house out in the country in Lincoln, Rhode Island. $17,000 for a two-story four-bedroom home on an acre of land, with three tenant cabins that produced enough income to pay the mortgage and then some. The only drawback is that there was only one bathroom for the whole family of seven, but that’s how it was then. To make the family complete, Catherine was born several years later. Jeri remembers breakfasts before school. There was always a pot of oatmeal or cream of wheat on the stove. Even so, she remembers that Mom would make her a special breakfast of poached egg and toast. Sending six kids and a husband off to school and work, Jeri remembers 14 pieces of bread lined up, ready for lunch sandwiches for all. Lu had a great love of music and singing. She was always singing and playing music on the radio. Then she picked up a ukelele. We had singalongs all the time, music books with ukelele chords, reading music, etc. It was a busy and fun time of life that Lu worked hard to provide for her family. Lu took a job at Ann & Hope outlet store in the receiving warehouse, where she worked for many years. Her sister Helen got her interested in singing in a 4-part harmony Barbershop Women’s Chorus, called Rhode Island Sound. Lu loved the singing and had wonderful friends there. The chorus traveled once to Ottawa Canada for competition. She and daughter Janice even formed a Barbershop Quartet that traveled around Rhode Island and Massachusetts singing at events. In 1981 Lu became interested in the Bible and its promises. She became a baptized Jehovah’s Witness in 1983. For over forty years afterward, Lu devoted hours every single month to assisting interested people learn more about the Bible, what dedication! Lu lived on her own for many years in Rhode Island, then in 2011 she moved to Florida to be closer to Janice and Jacki. She got her own apartment and was content and settled until 2020 when the pandemic and isolation took a toll. The memories of her beautiful life started to fade. All she wanted to do was “go home”, not even knowing where that was, but longing for a place that was familiar. She was able to remember all her children until the very end when she passed peacefully with her eldest daughter Janice by her side. She will be missed.

Lucille McNeil

August 12, 1932 - January 22, 2025