John R. "Dick" O'Connell

John R. O'Connell (Dick), beloved brother, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away at Wake Med Hospital in Cary, NC on November 10, 2025. Dick was born on August 30, 1936 in Philadelphia, PA, son of the late John and Esther (Zane) O'Connell. He was predeceased by his wife Eleanor.

Dick graduated from North Catholic High School and earned a BS in Economics and business from Mount Saint Mary's College in Emmitsburg, MD in 1958. Dick met his beloved wife Eleanor (Ellie) while they were both in college. They married in 1959 and enjoyed 59 years together until Eleanor's passing in 2018.

Dick joined the Navy after college graduation and was on active duty for 4 years and served over twenty years in the reserves. The couple lived in Newport, RI, then Philadelphia, PA before settling in Poughkeepsie, NY in 1963, where they raised their two daughters. Dick was a programmer for IBM for over 30 years. They moved to Cary, NC in 1984 where he lived in his home until his passing.

Dick retired in 2007 and enjoyed many activities. He loved spending time at the beach. He grew up working summers in Ocean City on the Jersey shore and spent many years at Wrightsville Beach, NC. His other love was golf. He enjoyed many rounds at his Lochmere club, played at Pinehurst and too many others to mention. He even marshalled at the SAS tournaments in Cary.

He and Ellie loved to travel, especially cruising. They cruised all over the Caribbean, Europe, and Hawaii. His favorite was the Greek islands. They also enjoyed their annual vacation with family and friends in Lake George, NY, spending many holidays in Wrightsville Beach and Christmas with their grandkids in NJ. He also loved to cook, entertain and made wonderful cocktails.

Dick is survived by two of his siblings Thomas O'Connell (Bonnie) and Susan Pelletier (Jack), his two daughters Christine O'Connell of Cedar Point, NC, and Sharon Thompson (Herb) of Wilmington, NC, his three grandchildren Kelly Humphrey (Macon), Sean Thompson (Nayka), Kathryn Thompson (Lucas), and four great-grandchildren Peyton and Reagan Humphrey, and Olivia and Cameron Thompson.

A mass of Christian burial will be held at 11:00 am on Thursday November 20, 2025 at St Michael the Archangel Church in Cary, NC. A reception will immediately follow at the Parish center after the interment at the columbarium.