On Friday September 13, 2024, the Rubenstein School hosted an intimate gathering at the George D. Aiken Center to honor Jarlath O’Neil-Dunne, who passed away on January 6, 2024.
The gathering was a ceremonial unveiling of two stands of Paper birch trees that frame the first-floor entrance to the Aiken Center, along with a memorial plaque that marks Jarlath’s legacy at ̽̽. Members of Jarlath’s family, his team at the Spatial Analysis Lab, his colleagues and students in the Rubenstein School, and his friends and partners from across ̽̽ and beyond were in attendance.
“Although we always associate Jarlath with his work with geospatial technologies, he started his career as a forestry major, so these trees are a fitting tribute to his roots.
That we have birch trees planted here has some special significance in relation to Jarlath. Birch comes from the root word “bhreg” which means to shine bright, which is so Jarlath. In Celtic mythology, the birch is a symbol of new beginnings and rebirth. And other cultures have aligned birches with those who never stop wondering – those whose inner resolve enables them to explore beyond the confines of the ordinary world, which is also a fitting description of Jarlath.
I am looking forward to watching these trees grow and flourish over the coming years and to have this beautiful reminder of Jarlath’s spirit each time we enter the building.”
Ernie Buford, a Research Specialist in the Spatial Analysis Lab, and Jarlath’s brother Aengus, also spoke briefly at the event. They each shared words of gratitude for the loving community that Jarlath helped to foster in the lab and the school.
The plaque that accompanies the birch trees reads:
In honor of Jarlath Patrick Macbeth O’Neil-Dunne
9/15/1974 – 1/6/2024
Beloved Mentor, Geospatial Innovator, Fitness Fanatic, Inspiration & Friend
“A Man for All Seasons”
Jarlath Believed that Our Connections to One Another Empower Us to Create a Better World
May his tradition of altruism & optimistic insight continue through all the lives he touched.
