Aracelis Rivera O'Neill

Aracelis (Tely) Rivera O’Neill, 88, native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, died peacefully at her home in Columbus, Ohio on August 30, 2024. 

 Tely was born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico on November 7, 1935 to Juan Rivera Sanchez and Juana O’Neill Rosario. Tely was a retired elementary school teacher. While she lived in San Juan, she travelled daily to El Verde, where she taught English in a six-classroom school near the rain forest. Teaching and children were her passion and she dedicated 37 years of her life to the profession before retiring. Tely neither married nor had biological children. Instead, she cared for her family and raised her niece, Aracelis (Liz), as her own daughter. Throughout her life she demonstrated an unwavering commitment to her family. Tely was loving, caring, humble, selfless, funny and compassionate. She will be deeply missed by her family, friends and all who knew her.

 Tely is preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Raul. Survivors include her daughter/niece, Dr. Aracelis Rivera Castro, Miss Ginine Michelle Trim, cousins Dr. Conchita Lorenzo de Chico and Dr. Carmen Ana O’Neill and, godson, Dr. Carlos Ivan Carrion. 

 A private service will be held at Shaw-Davis Funeral Home located at 34 W. 2nd Avenue, Columbus Ohio. A celebration of life will be held at her residence in Columbus, Ohio at a later time. Ultimately, sometime in October, she will return to the place she loved and missed so dearly, Puerto Rico.

 I would like to offer much love, respect, appreciation and gratitude to the team of doctors at The Ohio State University who compassionately cared for my beloved Tely. They are, Dr. Matthew Flanigan (Internal Medicine), Dr. Arun Ramamurthy (Neurology), Dr. Isabelle Ayoub (Nephrology), Dr. Irina Azaryan (Endocrinology), Dr. Mary Breckenridge (Cardiology), Dr. Vincent Esguerra (Pulmonologist) and Dr. Barbara Mihalik (Ophthalmology). Your gentle genuine care and concern did not go unnoticed. Thank you. 

 To Mrs. Carmen Pura Buono, you were her guardian angel in Puerto Rico and I will forever be indebted to you.

 Titita, I will love you from here to eternity. If love could have saved you, you would have lived forever. May you be rejoicing with your Mami and Papi, whom you missed dearly. I love you.