William Francis O'Connor

William "Bill" Francis O'Connor, 86, died Monday, March 20, 2017 at the Avon Health Center in Avon, CT. He leaves his wife of 60 years, Geraldine (Scanlan) of Canton, CT; son Neil and his wife Cathy of Raleigh, NC; daughter Caron O'Connor of Unionville, CT; son Brian of Unionville, CT; son Terence and his two children Nicholas and John of Houston, TX; brothers Thomas and his wife Arlene of Yonkers NY, Dennis and his wife Agnes of Crescent City, CA, and Robert O'Connor of Oklahoma City, OK. Born and raised in Yonkers, NY, the son of Mortimer and Irene (Kurcz) O'Connor, he was one of six boys. He enlisted in the Marine Corps and spent three years as a Drill Sergeant and Meteorologist during the Korean War. Upon returning to Yonkers he worked a variety of jobs but when he met his future wife Geraldine everything changed. They married and children soon followed, all the while he attended Manhattan College in the Bronx, NY at night earning a Business Administration degree in 1960. He began his professional career as a Contracts Administrator for national defense contracts in Colorado, then he moved his family to Granby, CT where he began work for Hamilton Standard in Windsor Locks, CT developing life support systems for NASA. Soon thereafter he moved to Simsbury, CT and began working for Colt Industries managing weapons contracts for the US and foreign governments. Another industry change brought him to New York City where he worked at Chemical Construction Corporation building the first Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plant in Arzew, Algeria. His wanderlust for travel and experiencing other cultures was cultivated over many years traveling to France and Algeria. In 1977 he joined Mobil Oil in Princeton, NJ as a Contracts expert. Later that year he accepted an assignment in Norway constructing offshore oil platforms. Three years later he returned to the USA and continued his career at Mobil in various capacities and locations until his retirement in 1993. In retirement he and his wife lived in Manchester Center, VT and Wrightsville Beach, NC before settling in Farmington and Canton, CT. He took pride in his professional career while remaining an honorable and trusted husband and father. He enjoyed kayaking and hiking. His cutting wit, love of banter with strangers, and passion for reading were present till his death. A Funeral Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 AM on Saturday, March 25 at St. Patrick Church in Collinsville CT. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be given to St. Patrick Church, 50 Church Street, Collinsville, CT 06019. The family of William wishes to extend their sincere thanks to the nurses, aides and staff of the Avon Health Center where he spent his last months. Please visit Bill's "Book of Memories" at www.vincentfuneralhome.com for online condolences.