Joseph T. "Joe" O'Connor

It is with deep sadness that the family of Joseph "Joe" T. O'Connor announces his passing in Lincoln, Nebraska, on December 3, 2025, at the age of 96. Joe was born in Newport, Rhode Island, on February 10, 1929, to Joseph T. O'Connor, Sr., and Mary E. Murphy O'Connor. He graduated from Rogers High School in Newport in 1947 and enlisted in the Army Air Force on July 11, 1947. After basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX, he was deployed to Japan where he served in the Army of Occupation from 1947 to 1950. He was also a Veteran of Korea and Vietnam. He completed multiple missions in Vietnam in the 1960's and 1970's. In the early 1970's as a member of the 1st Combat Evaluation Group, he led the ground control radar detachment in Operation Sky Spot, a classified mission, which guided B52's in Vietnam through to bomb release with precision and accuracy. For his expertise in Ground Directed Bombing, he received written Proclamation from the USAF for "having undergone the hazards of duty in South East Asia, and for your exemplary behavior under the most trying circumstances and your calm demeanor in the face of the many crises encountered."
He was stationed multiple times in the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, and Korea, in addition to many Air Force Bases in the United States. Throughout his 28-year military career in the Air Force, he built radar units from the ground up, many of which still operate today. His thousand-page radar manual with its dog-eared pages and detailed schematics show the skill required to construct and maintain these units.
His final overseas tour lasted 13 months on the DMZ, Dae Song San, Republic of Korea, where at the top of a remote mountain he was in charge of the 6305th Tactical Control Flight, 314th Air Division. For his service on the DMZ, he received the Air Force Commendation Medal for Meritorious Service from the Secretary of the Air Force along with the Citation to accompany the award:
"Senior Master Sergeant Joseph T. O'Connor, Jr. distinguished himself by meritorious service while assigned as Noncommissioned Officer In Charge of the 6305th Tactical Control Flight, 314 Air Division Operating Location Dae Song San, Republic of Korea, from 25 August 1971 to 23 September 1972. During this period, his dedication to duty and loyalty to the unit coupled with his positive leadership and management contributed significantly to the unit's successful mission accomplishment. It was through his inspiration that the men assigned to this remote mountain top radar site on the Korean Demilitarized Zone remained molded together and accomplished some of the more difficult tasks in all of Korea. The distinctive accomplishments of Sergeant O'Connor reflect credit upon himself and the Unted States Air Force."
He was known as "Chief" by his men, some of whom remained in contact with him for the rest of his life.
When Joe retired from the military on July 31, 1975, he served as Maintenance Foreman at Western Land Roller/ Ingersoll Rand in Hastings, Nebraska, working on large industrial machinery. He attended school at the plants where the machines were manufactured to study the technical components of the equipment, which he mastered with ease. When he retired in 1995, he had earned the respect of those who worked with him for his patience, calmness, and skill.
Though he travelled around the world, his heart was always in his hometown of Newport, RI. He loved his parents and talked often of their patience and strength, traits he shared, as his father struggled with Parkinson's Disease from the age of 33. As a teenager, Joe would drive his father wherever he wanted to go, whether it was to the store, a game, or the pub, where, to the dismay of his mother, he had his first but not his last beer.
On July 31, 1950, he married the love of his life, Barbara A. Prasso. On the day of his wedding, his father told him, "Always put your wife first," and he did for the next 45 years. They were complimentary: She was lively and talkative, and he was calm and quiet. Just before she passed away in 1995, she said, "He couldn't have been better." They had three children, Pat, Joey, and Beth.
He was a kind and gentle man, and he was unflappable. His philosophy of life was, "Roll with the punches." To his son, he was always "Big Daddy" and to his daughters, he will always be "Daddy."
Joe is preceded in death by his wife Barbara, his parents Joseph and Mary O'Connor, his sisters Patsy and Marie, his son Joey, and his beloved dogs Winston ("Winnie"), Maggie, Shadow, and Vicky, all of whom were there to greet him at the Rainbow Bridge. He is survived by his two daughters Pat (Mike) Aalberg and Beth (Kevin) Jensen; his daughter-in-law, Shelley; and his sister Audrey Emerson.
He was a wonderful father, and as our mother said, "He couldn't have been better."
A Mass of Christian burial will be held in Lincoln, Nebraska at St. John the Apostle Catholic Church in Lincoln, Nebraska, on Wednesday, December 16, Rosary at 10:00, Service at 10:30 AM. For more information on services in Lincoln, NE, please visit https://www.bmlfh.com/obituary/joseph-joe-oconnor.
A Graveside Committal service will be held on Friday, December 19 at St. Columba Cemetery, 465 Browns Ln, Middletown, RI at 12:30 PM.
Memorials in honor of Joe may be given to K9s For Warriors or Hearts United for Animals (HUA), where Joe adopted his last little dog, Vicky.