Journalist and fashion model Gail O'Neill passed away at the age of 61.
On October 10, O'Neill was discovered dead in her Atlanta home, according to Urban Hollywood 411. The cause of death is yet unknown. But as editor-at-large for ArtsATL, the New Yorker "courageously fought a serious illness over the past two years," according to the publication.
According to Urban Hollywood 411, O'Neill is survived by her husband Paul E. Viera, mother Elaine, sister Denise, and brother Randy. Photographer Chuck Baker and his stylist wife Martha found the late fashionista and news reporter in 1985 while she was at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, according to THR. The Wesleyan University alum was employed by Xerox in sales and marketing at the time. She appeared on the cover of British Vogue the following year.
"When I was eleven or twelve years old, I thought that my tall, thin body was part of some cosmic joke, and I was the joke," O'Neill remarked in a 2013 Q&A session hosted by the American Museum of Natural History.
According to THR, she modeled during her career for companies like Coca-Cola, Esprit, Avon, J. Crew, Donna Karan, Perry Ellis, Willi Smith, Calvin Klein, and Nordstrom. In addition, O'Neill collaborated with a number of well-known photographers, such as Alex Chatelain, Patrick Demarchelier, Annie Leibovitz, Gilles Bensimon, Steven Meisel, Albert Watson, and Fabrizio Ferri.
She appeared in the swimsuit issue of Sports Illustrated and covered American and Italian versions of Vogue, Mademoiselle, Elle, Glamour, and Essence.
Stephanie Grill, O'Neill's representative, told WWD that "people just loved her."
They would consistently reschedule her. She had a stunning demeanor that was genuine and kind, making her a big beauty. She also possessed a great deal of integrity. If she could have worked six or seven jobs a day, she would have. She was spoiled for choice. Everyone aspired to collaborate with Gail O'Neill.