Cornelius E. "Neil" O'Hara

1923 - 2020

Lifelong Vallejo resident Cornelius "Neil" O'Hara passed away of natural causes at the age of 97 in Vallejo on July 29, 2020. Born in Vallejo on June 23, 1923, to Cornelius Aloysius and Beatrice Connick O'Hara, he was a 1941 graduate of St. Vincent High School. He was the fifth of six children, and was the last surviving sibling. He joined the Army Air Corps during World War II, spending most of the war as an airplane mechanic in Colorado. There he met and married Leola Copp of Trinidad, CO. Together, they returned to Vallejo after the war, and spent 65 years together until she pre-deceased him in 2010. He started at Mare Island shipyard in 1946 as a shipfitter, became a planner and held various management positions before his early retirement in 1975. He was an avid golfer up until his early 90s, belonged to Elks Lodge #559, and was active in various other community groups.Survivors include Carol (Bill) Knierim of Garden Valley, CA; Kathleen "Kitty" O'Hara of Falls Church, VA; Neil (Jane) O'Hara of Ashland, OR; Steve (Kim) O'Hara of Vancouver, WA; and six grandchildren. An outdoor graveside service will be held at All Souls Cemetery in Vallejo on August 5 at 10:00 a.m.
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