Richard Walsh O'Connor

O?CONNOR, Richard Walsh Richard Walsh O?Connor, 82, of West Hartford, died October 22, 2006, surrounded by his immediate family, at Dempsey Hospital in Farmington. He was born in Brooklyn, NY, the son of John F. and Loretto Walsh O?Connor. Mr. O?Connor attended Portsmouth Priory, Princeton University and Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute. During World War II, he worked as a ship-fitter in Tietjen and Lang Shipyard. Mr. O?Connor then worked as an industrial engineer and consultant for firms such as Continental Can Co. in New Jersey, and American Bosch Arma, and Ernst & Young, both in New York. A position as chief industrial engineer at Veeder Root brought him to Hartford in 1962. In 1973, he joined Equitable Life Insurance Co. He also worked for several years as an insurance broker with Silas Chapman and Company and Alexander and Alexander in Hartford. He retired in 1990. During the past 16 years, he has hosted a series of panel discussions on mental health for West Hartford Community Television and the Mental Health Association. For much of that time, he also worked part-time as a security guard. He is a former member of the Hartford Tennis Club, Red Oak Country Club, the Industrial Engineering Society, the Systems and Procedures Society, the Princeton Clubs of New York and Connecticut, and Squadron A of the New York National Guard. Mr. O?Connor?s family members remember him as a deeply spiritual man and a steadfast supporter of their individual interests and their well-being. To them and to his friends, he had an inquisitive mind, a selfless manner of listening, and seemingly unlimited hours to spend with and for those he loved. A voracious reader and an avid bridge player, Mr. O?Connor also enjoyed gardening and woodworking. His interests included genealogy, history, investment and politics. He is predeceased by his sister Mary Patricia of Longwood, MA. He is survived by his wife Patricia Free O?Connor of West Hartford and their four children: Patricia Walsh O?Connor of Farmington; Anne O?C. Hutchins of Hartland, VT; Richard W. O?Connor, Jr. of Redwood Shores, CA; and John Blaine O?Connor of Hartford. His grandchildren are Constantine Hutchins IV, A. Blaine Hutchins, F. Margaret Hutchins, Catherine W. O?Connor and Shannon E. O?Connor. Mr. O?Connor?s funeral will be held Friday, Oct. 27, at 10 a.m. in St. Peter Claver Church, West Hartford. No calling hours. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to West Hartford Community Television, Town Hall, West Hartford, CT 06107 or the Mental Health Association, 20 Beaver Rd, Wethersfield, CT 06109. Online expressions of sympathy may be made at www.molloyfuneralhome.com.

Richard Walsh O'Connor

January 25, 1924 - October 22, 2006