Arthur O'Connor

Obituary of Arthur William O'Connor

Arthur William O'Connor Jr. April 17, 1931 - January 18, 2020 Art O'Connor passed away peacefully in Melbourne, Florida on January 18,2020 with his loving wife Carol and daughter Denise by his side. He was a loving husband, a devout Catholic, and a devoted father and grandfather. He is survived by his devoted wife, Carol and five children: Stephen (Paige), Suzy, Lisa (Casey), Denise (Larry), and Michael (Missy). He is also survived by his 11 grandchildren, three brothers, ( Donald, Roddy, and Kevin) and nieces and nephews. Two brothers Martin and Robert predeceased him. Art was born in Brooklyn, NY and later moved to Flushing, NY. While at Brooklyn Prep High School, Art played baseball, football, and ran track. He attended Fordham University for one year before enlisting in the Marines and serving in combat in the Korean War with the First Marine Division. After finishing his service, Art returned to Fordham to complete his education. He was welcomed warmly upon his return. While in Philosophy class , actor Alan Alda (his classmate) personally thanked him for his service at the end of class.Art was also a member of the Fordham track team, where his father Artie O'Connor was his coach. Even though Art only served with the U.S. Marines for three years, his love for the Corps was evident to all. He had many shirts, jackets, and hats with the USMC logo and license plates with Semper Fi. Values instilled at home and reinforced through the Marines —honor, courage, and commitment —were carried forward in how he lived his life. Art's loyalty to our country continued throughout his career. He had a 30 year career with the Federal Government and had assignments in California, Taiwan, and Washington D.C. before retiring in 1990. While at work, Art was known for being both "the consummate professional" as well as a practical joker. While he loved practical jokes, Art equally loved handing out candy to his coworkers and grandchildren. Funny how Art always maintained a lean physique despite his love for hard candy and ice cream. After retirement, Art worked as a security consultant for another 23 years. In retirement, he devoted his time to sending word scrambles and $2 bills to his grandchildren. You can be sure that if you come across a $2 bill that it has likely passed through Art's hands. In addition to maintaining weekly correspondences with his grandchildren, Art enjoyed seeing plays and attending band concerts with his wife .He also enjoyed reading on the balcony or by the pool of their beachfront condominium. Art will be deeply missed by his family and friends. As a friend recently said of Art, "He is at peace. Your favorite veteran is saluting God and being welcomed into that place that is our ultimate reward." A memorial service will be held at Holy Name of Jesus Church in Melbourne, Florida on February 17, 2020 at 11:00 am. Following, on June 16, 2020 a burial service will be held at Marine Corps Base Quantico. In lieu of flowers please consider making a donation to Holy Name Of Jesus- Hearts Out To Haiti https://www.hnj.org/hearts-out-to-haiti. Or to Retired Veterans.
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Service

When Monday, February 17th, 2020 11:00am Location Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church 3050 N. Highway A1A
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