[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 79 (Thursday, May 21, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S5814]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       REMEMBERING BRIAN O'NEILL

 Mrs. BOXER.: Mr. President, it is with a very heavy heart that 
I ask my colleagues to join me today in honoring the memory of an 
extraordinary National Park Service, NPS, leader, Brian O'Neill. Brian 
was a legendary conservationist and community builder whose legacy will 
serve as a source of inspiration for decades to come. Brian passed away 
on May 13, 2009. He was 67 years old.
  Brian was born in Washington, DC, in 1942, where he lived for the 
first 27 years of his life. During his early years, Brian's family 
often took camping and road trips to many of our National Parks. It was 
on these trips that Brian first began to bond with the Great West that 
would eventually become his home. The deep love and respect for nature 
that Brian fostered in his youth continued to motivate his professional 
life and nurture his personal life for the remainder of his years.
  Brian never kept his love of the out-of-doors to himself. From the 
beginning, he recognized the importance of sharing his enthusiasm for 
all things wild with his family, friends, and especially with young 
people. As a freshman at the University of Maryland, Brian and his twin 
brother Alan worked with their mother Mimi to establish a nonprofit 
organization that provided urban children with opportunities to visit 
national parks.
  Brian began his career in Government service in 1965, when he was 
hired by what was then the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation, BOR. As Deputy 
Director of BOR's Office of Urban Park Studies, Brian was a crucial 
part of the team that persuaded President Nixon to support legislation 
establishing two major urban parks: Golden Gate in San Francisco and 
Gateway in New York City. Brian was also instrumental in the inclusion 
of 2,000 miles of rivers on California's north coast in the national 
scenic rivers system during the final days of President Carter's 
administration.
  For the past 25 years, Brian O'Neill served as the superintendent of 
the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, GGNRA. Comprised of over 
76,000 acres in Marin, San Mateo, and San Francisco counties, GGNRA is 
one of the largest urban parks in the country. GGNRA hosts over 16 
million visitors annually and is home to 1, 250 historic buildings, or 
7 percent of all designated historic structures in the country. With 
ever-growing expertise, Brian led GGNRA's 347 NPS employees and 8,000 
volunteers.
  Brian had a special skill for connecting people with parks. He 
understood that in order to garner lasting support for parks, community 
members must be personally invested and involved every step of the way. 
Brian's can-do attitude enabled him to create fruitful partnerships 
with business leaders, philanthropists, and community leaders. He 
consistently proved skeptics wrong, as he raised more and more money to 
create additional parklands. NPS recognized Brian's natural aptitude 
for building partnerships--when NPS created a new assistant director 
position focused on creating relationships with outside entities, Brian 
was asked to serve in this role for the first year of its existence.
  I had the great pleasure of knowing Brian for many years, and will 
always remember his bright smile and cheerful optimism. Brian's warmth 
drew people to him--he was always surrounded by a rich circle of 
friends and colleagues of all ages. Though he will be deeply missed, 
Brian has left us with the priceless and timeless gifts of the parks he 
helped to build. Thanks in great part to Brian, GGNRA provides its 
visitors with endless opportunities for exploration, education, and 
getting in touch with life's deepest purpose and most rewarding 
opportunities.
  Brian has no doubt left an indelible mark on our hearts, minds, and 
the bay area's natural treasures. He was an inspiring and wonderful 
man. For those of us who were fortunate to know him, we take comfort in 
knowing that hundreds of thousands of park visitors will continue to 
benefit from Brian's vision and determination for generations to come.
  Brian is survived by his mother Mimi, twin brother Alan, wife Marti, 
daughter Kim, son Brent, daughter-in law Anne, and three 
grandchildren--Justin, Kieran and Sean.

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