John "Jack" William O'Connor of Hamden, Connecticut, peacefully entered into eternal rest on July 21, 2023.  He was the devoted husband for 55 years of Maria Duffy O'Connor of Rye, New York.  Born in White Plains, New York on April 2, 1940, he was the son of the late Daniel V. and Mary Kostrubal O'Connor. He was a resident of White Plains and Port Chester, New York, Wilmington, North Carolina and was currently living in Hamden, Connecticut.

John attended White Plains schools and upon completing high school he proudly served in the United States Army.  He then became a 41 year employee of Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. from which he retired. While employed by Con Edison, John achieved the title of Class A Mechanic and later became an ASE Certified Mechanic. John was a parishioner of the former Our Lady of Mercy Church in Port Chester and of St. Mark's Catholic Church in Wilmington.

John was always willing to help anyone in need. Early in his career at Con Edison's Transportation Department in the Bronx, John had the type of blood that a local child with anemia needed to stay alive.  He donated several pints of blood to her whenever he received the call to do so.  While raising his family in Port Chester, John coached a Midget League Baseball team for the Port Chester Recreation Department.  He took great pleasure in teaching the young team members, including his youngest daughter, the rules and regulations of basic baseball. John enjoyed frequently taking his young children to fish off the Mill Street bridge in Port Chester.  They would delight in catching little snapper and he taught them to throw the fish back in the water so they could continue growing. John enjoyed attending his children's school events and was always present to cheer on the sports teams they were a part of.  He enjoyed helping his daughter and son's high school band transport their equipment to the weekly fall competitions.

An avid sports enthusiast, John was a devoted New York Mets, Giants, Knicks and Rangers fan.  He took pleasure in attending several games with his children.  In his retirement years he was fond of watching the games on TV.  He never missed reading the daily newspapers throughout his life, with particular interest in the daily scores and sports standings found in the sports section.  John had a lifelong passion for fishing and could be found many evenings in his boat in the Long Island Sound. With his teenage children along, or by himself, it was rare that he would return home without large flounder or bluefish. One evening, his catch of two large bluefish landed his photo in the year 2000 sportfishing journal Nor'east Saltwater.

John's love for dogs became a major part of his life. He retired to North Carolina with his three dogs from New York, Matsi, Kota and Finn. John and his wife soon added 4 more dogs, Misty, Jasmine, Meg, and Eddie, to their crew to make their wish of owning 7 dogs complete.  While in North Carolina they became members of the city's greyhound group and attended several weekly training classes, play groups and massage therapy sessions for their dogs with DogTrain in Wilmington. After the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, John and his wife became volunteers for a local organization helping homeless dogs and cats from Louisiana.  Contributing several weeks of work to care for the animals brought to a shelter in their city, they were chosen as Volunteers of the Year by the organization and also by the city of Wilmington.

While living in Wilmington, John learned how to make a pen out of a piece of wood using woodturning equipment. This opened up a new hobby for John and with the purchase of woodturning tools, using this new found hidden talent, he was soon making and perfecting pens, pencils, salt and pepper shakers, bottle stoppers, bowls, vases, platters, canes, walking sticks, etc.  His membership in the Wilmington Area Woodturners Association further advanced his expertise with his wood creations.  For several years John entered several craft competitions in his city and Raleigh, North Carolina and won numerous awards for his creations up to and including the state level. His most prized achievement was securing a page in the American Woodturner, a worldwide journal of woodturners' creations, showing his toothpick holder and his cheese and cracker platter made from nine different types of wood.  He and his wife set up his display at several craft fairs throughout their city yearly, and enjoyed meeting up with their craft making friends.

During his years of retirement, John enjoyed visiting with his children and grandchildren.  He would make the drive from North Carolina to New York to attend his grandsons' games and to spend time playing with his granddaughter.  The grandchildren's visits to North Carolina were a time of fun and laughter, and he gladly built them a large sand box in the yard to use on the days they stayed home from the beach. John enjoyed taking the grandkids to The Train Museum, Power of Play, Jungle Rapids, and Wrightsville Beach.  In recent years he enjoyed their visits to him as he was homebound.

In addition to John's wife Maria, he is survived by his three children, Jacqueline Walther, John O'Connor and his wife Maria Natale, and Andrea O'Connor. He leaves behind his beloved grandchildren Patrick and Sean Walther, and Emma Rose and Mia-Alyvia O'Connor, as well as his loving dogs Liliana and Menina.  Additionally, he is survived by two nieces.  He was predeceased by his brother Daniel, his wife Patricia, and their son Daniel.

Funeral arrangements, along with full military honors, are private at the discretion of the family.  Arrangements have been entrusted to Adzima Funeral Home, 50 Paradise Green Place, Stratford, Connecticut, 06614.

If you would like to join the family in honoring John, memorial contributions may be made to K9s for Warriors, 114 Camp K9 Road, Ponte Vedra, Florida 32081, info@k9forwarriors.org.