Gail ‘Mickey’ "Gleason" Connor

Mickey, beloved mother of Christine and lifelong friend to Jo-Ann Licari, passed away from complications due to Alzheimer's disease on February 3, leaving a void in her family that cannot be filled.

She was born in Amesbury, MA in 1946, to James and Doris (Dore) Gleason. The youngest of 13 children, Mickey, claimed that her parents stopped having children once they reached perfection with her birth. Her family moved from Amesbury to Haverhill where she attended public schools, graduating from Haverhill High School in 1964.

Mickey shared 20 years of marriage with Albert Connor and remained his close friend until his death in 2019. He was invited to her home for every special occasion and family dinner and remained in love with her until the day he died.

Mickey retired from Verizon in 2002 after 27 years of service with the company, working in the E911 department. She was rather young when she retired but did not regret that decision as it gave her the opportunity to spend valuable time with her beloved sisters. She was often seen driving one of them in her convertible with the top down, taking a ride to the beach, or to lunch at the Hungry Traveler.

She loved art and music from a young age, having fond memories of taking weekend art classes in Boston with Madeleine Howard when they were still in high school. Her favorite medium was creating oil paintings of local landmarks like Winnikenni Castle, the Bixby building, and the Gloucester Fisherman's Memorial. Her love of music came from her mother, who enjoyed singing throughout her lifetime, often placing a finger on her cheek to exclaim she "felt a song coming on". She remained forever grateful to her sister Bunny, who invited her over to watch the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show in 1964. Other hobbies include gardening, cooking, decorating her home with her special flair, and enjoying dinners out at The Phoenician, Butch's Uptown, and The Roma.

Mickey was preceded in death by her parents, her former husband, and brothers Ned Gleason, James "Buddy" Gleason, David Gleason, John Gleason, and Francis "Frank" Gleason, sisters Corrinne "Renie" Gleason, Bernice "Bunny" Perreault, Virginia "Ginny" Richard, Verna "Honey" Hyder, Carole Quatrale-Morin, and Doris "Dot" Morelli.

She leaves behind devoted daughter, Christine Connor-Slager, dear friends Jo-Ann Licari and Kathryn Flynn, former son-in-law Tim Slager, many nieces and nephews, sister Margaret "Peggy" Schena of Merrimac, MA, sister Priscilla Portillo of Utah, and daughter Karen Connor-Levesque.

Christine would like to extend her deepest gratitude to the staff at Greystone Farm in Salem, NH and to Brookhaven Hospice who treated Mickey with the utmost care, kindness, and dignity while she battled dementia, which stole so much from her. In lieu of flowers, she requests that you donate to Brookhaven Hospice, 5 Mt. Royal Ave. Ste 40, Marlborough, MA 01752.

Visitation will be held on Monday, February 9, in the Driscoll Funeral Home, 309 S. Main Street, Haverhill, from 4:00 to 7:00 PM. Funeral Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday in Sacred Hearts Church, 165 S. Main Street, Haverhil at 10:00 AM. Please meet directly at the church. Interment will follow in Elmwood Cemetery, Haverhill. For guestbook, visit www.driscollcares.com