Celebration of Life Set for Lynne O’Neill on Saturday
PALM SPRINGS — Desert Stonewall Democrats are holding a Celebration of Life service on Saturday for Lynne “Lynnie” O’Neill, who dedicated her life to fighting injustice and to the pursuit of truth.
The service is set for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Mizell Senior Center, 480 S. Sunrise Way.
David Weiner, Chair of Desert Stonewall Democrats, had a decade-long friendship with Lynnie. When he learned of her passing, he said he knew that Stonewall would be the right organization to lead the effort to celebrate and recognize her amazing life. The group is an LGBTQ Democratic Political Action Organization serving the Coachella Valley.
“Lynnie was one of those people you meet and instantly know she should be part of your circle,” Weiner said. “She fought tirelessly against corruption and worked every day to make the Coachella Valley a better place for every one of its residents. I still can’t believe I will never hear that laugh again, but her spirit and legacy will never leave us. Lynnie, you made this world of ours a better place and we will continue the amazing work you have done over all these years. Rest in Power, my dear friend.”
She died the morning of Dec. 24 while house-sitting for College of the Desert Area 4 Trustee and chair Joel Kinnamon and his husband, Chris Parman, while they were away for the holidays.
Professionally, she introduced herself as Lynne, but her friends knew her best as “Lynnie.” It was the nickname her father, a man whom she revered, gave her. He was an attorney, and she followed in his footsteps. She embraced the nickname like a warm hug from Dad.
In her tireless quest for the truth, accountability among public officials and social justice, she became close with Democratic U.S. Congressman Raul Ruiz who shared her passion.
“I am heartbroken by the passing of my friend, Lynne O’Neill, a remarkable and fearless woman,” Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D., told Uken Report. “Those who were lucky to have crossed paths with her know of her deep passion and dedication for equality. Wherever there was injustice, Lynne was there ready to take action. I will miss my friend. My heart and prayers are with her family, friends, and all those in our community who loved her.”
As a proud and fearless female lawyer, she had an uncanny ability to get straight to the heart of the matter, according to Parman. She could retell a story with legal precision and clarity that would’ve made Matlock envious. That was her first superpower, he writes in a speech he plans to deliver on Saturday.
“And then there was her second superpower: confronting corruption head-on, without an ounce of fear or mercy,” Parman writes. “She would tell me, “Chris, at this point in my life, I’m all outta fucks! I don’t care if I give them a little boo-boo. What? You think I’m worried that they aren’t going to like me anymore?” She’d follow this with her signature gesture—placing her right hand over her heart and brushing it away, as if sweeping their opinions into the void. Then, with a grin, she’d say, “I’m a lawyer. It’s what we do.”
Her information came from the people who mattered most: neighbors, parents, teachers, or even fishermen. She had a gift for connecting with those most affected by the injustices in the Coachella Valley, according to Parman.
She called it “good trouble,” and members of her own beloved Democratic Party were not immune from her “superpower.” Grown men feared they would find themselves in her social media crosshairs— and some did. She appreciated the art of a good argument. Some of her social media arguments would last for days. The volley of words would continue until her foe would stop. “I always get the last word.” she once said.
She had found her groove and was planning to launch a political newsletter this month to expose bad actors in the Valley.
Alan Carvalho, a friend and fellow truth-seeker, was often photographed with her. Together, they spoke out on alleged corruption at College of the Desert, fought for Sanctuary City status and together protested President-elect Donald Trump’s visit to the Valley in 2019. Both with white, short hair, she often joked that he was her brother from another mother.
He has been working for the past week with Weiner to plan and organize the service. He has produced an 11-minute video for the service that highlights some of the best of Lynnie’s bad-ass moments.
He has set up a GoFundMe account in Lynnie’s honor titled Lynnie’s Legacy: Funeral and Scholarship Fund. As of Friday morning, more than $4,000 had been raised.
Carvalho has penned a highly personal and heartbreaking tribute to her for the service, The pair had planned a breakfast date the morning of Christmas Eve. It never happened.
We were all blessed, meeting Lynne O’Neill a dozen years ago, Carvalho writes in his prepared remarks for the service, “You were the Courageous Resistance movement, fighting the good fight for Sanctuary City status in Cathedral City with progressive Council members Greg Pettis, John Aguilar and Shelley Kaplan, the first city in our valley to do so.”
“We will carry your voice like a shield protecting us all from the blatant injustices all around us!” he writes. “You left an indelible legacy behind, and your mentoring will give us the strength to NEVER silence our voices! ”
