James Craig O'Hara

1925 - 2017

James Craig O'Hara, 92, of Atlanta, Ga., a veteran of World War II and the Korean Conflict, died of natural causes Tuesday, April 18, 2017. Mr. O'Hara, who was born in Baltimore Md., on January 24, 1925, is survived by his spouse, Jean H. O'Hara of Atlanta, and his four children and their spouses, Joan O'Hara Wehner (R. Brinkley Wehner) of Springfield, Va., Christiane O'Hara Seifring (Robert Seifring) of Atlanta, James B. O'Hara (Patricia M. O'Hara) of Rome, Ga., and Jeffrey H. O'Hara (Sandra S. O'Hara) of Kennesaw, Ga.; 10 grandchildren and their spouses; and seven great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, James G. and Vestire Craig O'Hara, and a brother, Charles R. O'Hara. Mr. O'Hara served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and, after being recalled, during the Korean Conflict. He earned his engineering degree from The Catholic University of America, worked for General Electric on gas turbine railroad engines and made the transition to nuclear engineering where he was involved in helping establish the nuclear Navy. Mr. O'Hara ended his career as a nuclear safety engineer, traveling around the world helping build nuclear power plants and was part of the immediate response team during the Three Mile Island incident in 1979 in Harrisburg, Pa. Mr. O'Hara was also a lifelong railroad fan, volunteering for more than two decades at the Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth, Ga., restoring trains, raising funds by desktop publishing their calendar, and serving as a docent. The family will receive visitors at H. M. Patterson & Son Arlington Chapel in Sandy Springs, Ga., on Friday from 7-9 p.m. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at Holy Cross Catholic Church, 3773 Chamblee Tucker Rd., Atlanta, Ga., 30341, and followed by interment at Arlington Memorial Park, Sandy Springs, Ga. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to the Southeastern Railway Museum, PO 1267, Accounting, Duluth GA 30096-0023 or The Catholic University of America, Division of University Advancement, 620 Michigan Ave., NE, Washington, D.C., 20064.