By Jonathan Volzke
Richard Jerome O’Neill, “Uncle Richard” to virtually all who knew him, was laid to rest in a private cemetery on Rancho Mission Viejo on Tuesday.
More than 1,000 people, including former Governors Gray Davis and Jerry Brown and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, gathered at Mission Basilica on Monday to bid farewell to O’Neill, whose grandfather made the handshake deal that would create the 200,000 acre ranch that stretched from El Toro to Oceanside and back to Fallbrook.
“We love you, Uncle Richard and we’ll miss you forever,” a tearful Tony Moiso, president and CEO of Rancho Mission Viejo, said during the Mass. San Clemente City Councilmembers Joe Anderson and Wayne Eggleston attended the service, as did former Councilmember Steve Knoblock. San Clemente open-space advocate Patricia Holloway and business owner Ruth DeNault were also among those who attended.
Afterward, family and friends stopped by the Mission as the bells tolled. A procession then proceeded down San Juan’s main street to El Adobe de Capistrano restaurant. O’Neill owned the eatery, and although a staunch Democrat, used to share meals with then-President Richard Nixon there.
O’Neill, who was 85, was buried next to his wife, Donna, who passed away in 2002.
O’Neill’s dedication to open space and balanced development played a large role in the Ranch’s development plan, which calls for up to 75 percent open space.
See more coverage of O’Neill’s services at www.thecapistranodispatch.com
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