O'CONNOR, Carolyn Morris, died peacefully at home in the midst of her loving family on January 17, 2011 after a valiant and inspirational six-plus-year battle against melanoma. She is survived by husband, Paul O'Connor; daughters, Jane "Janie" Mallory and Katherine "Katie" McQuillan a testament to her love and grace as a mother; her parents, James W. "Jimmy" Morris III and Jane Mallory "Buddy" Morris; her brother, James W. "Jimmy" Morris IV (Rhonda); and uncles, Philip Browder Morris of Richmond and John A. Mallory (Elaine) of Elmont; aunts, Frederica Ann "Rickie" Gunn of Bend, Ore. and Stella Morris Lofton (Charles) of Charlottesville; Paul's parents, Captain Paul (USN Ret.) and Barbara "Bobbi" O'Connor of Tucson, Ariz., and his (and her) sisters, Dr. Colleen O'Connor Grochowski (Christopher) of Durham, N.C. and Commander Cathleen "Cat" Ring (USN Ret.) (Captain John, USN) of Coronado, Calif.; and a host of cousins, countless friends and surrogate children. Carolyn was a graduate of Collegiate School (1981), James Madison University (1985) and the Academy of Court Reporting (1988). She decided against suggestions of law school and became a court reporter, earning all available degrees and rankings in that challenging field, working for the firm of Cook and Wiley. She became a crack "real time" reporter, much in demand for the most difficult cases. As one leading trial lawyer and friend wrote, "You really are at the top of your profession I have dealt with tons of court reporters from many different companies so I know first-hand that your 100 percent persistent diligence to be accurate and exemplary work product were truly unique." Yet it was her personal life (and personality!) that truly distinguished her as wife, mother, daughter, sister, confidante and friend. She was blessed with a great capacity to love, a generous spirit, a welcoming warmth and an unmatched sense of the ridiculous (oh how she and her CC Club friends would laugh) which endeared her to all she met. Among her greatest pleasures was making the O'Connor home a legendary, fun-filled living place for the many friends of Janie and Katie. Despite the heavy demands of her profession, she devoted countless precious hours to the many sports teams and school activities and relationships of Janie and Katie, including all their teammates and schoolmates, and their parents too, which account for the success and loving nature of her girls. Her capacity for love and understanding extended beyond the human beneficiaries to a large and varied family of pets over the years, which currently is limited to "only" one dog and four cats. Carolyn was blessed with a solid faith in God, in large degree inspired by her minister, David Dwight of Hope Church. She is now among the angels and we are left to mourn. We have the comfort of beautiful memories and the living examples of her love, faith, intelligence, influence and guidance, in the persons of Janie and Katie. As she said, "Don't be sad or angry. God is not taking me away. I am going skipping off to heaven." The family is grateful to many people and institutions for their love and care for Carolyn, including those who shared with Paul or relieved him for many nights with her at home and in various hospitals including her sisters, Colleen and Cat, Shannon Simpson, Robin Farinholt, Chris Brown and the staff at the Cardiac Step Down Unit at Henrico Doctors' Hospital, Forest. Visitation will be held at Bliley's-Central, 3801 Augusta Ave., Richmond, Va. 23230, from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, January 23, 2011. The funeral service will be held at Hope Presbyterian Church, 12445 Patterson Ave., Henrico, Va. 23238, at 11 a.m. on Monday, January 24, 2011. Burial services at Hollywood Cemetery following. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Collegiate School, 103 North Mooreland Road, Richmond, Va. 23229, or Hope Church, 12445 Patterson Ave., Henrico, Va. 23238.
This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
