Stephen J. "Steve" O'Connor

Stephen J. "Steve" O'Connor, age 63, a resident of Naperville since the 1990s, formerly of Westerville, OH and Chicago, IL, passed away on Thursday, February 12, 2026, in Naperville. He was born on August 15, 1962, in Findlay, OH.

Beloved husband of Deborah A. O'Connor (née Pagano) of Naperville, whom he married on September 3, 1988, loving father of Matthew O'Connor of Washington, DC, devoted son of Joy (née Orchard) and the late James "Jim" O'Connor, son-in-law of Francis "Frank" and the late Judith Ann "Judy" (née Catton) Pagano, dear brother of Kelly (Richard) Sitz and Shannon (Victoria) O'Connor, both of Westerville, OH, brother-in-law of Russell (Barbara) Pagano of Riverwoods, IL and John (Amy) Pagano of Libertyville, IL, fond uncle of Brittany (Brandon) Martell and Connor (Alexis) Sitz; Alexander and Kerry O'Connor; Nicholas, Jacob and Marissa Pagano; Isabella and Joseph Pagano, great-uncle of Darby Martell and Channing Sitz, fond nephew, cousin and friend of many. Steve will be dearly missed by Dottie, his Boxer.

No matter where Steve called home, he was forever a proud son of Ohio. Growing up, he was a star athlete in basketball and baseball and a star student at Westerville North High School and Miami University. When he moved to Chicago in 1984, he took his Ohio humility with him-as well as an aversion to coffee, thanks to his parents' longstanding Sunday morning tradition of slowly, ever slowly, enjoying a cup, one small sip at a time.

After moving to Chicago, he met Deb, his wife of more than 37 years, when they both began working at Arthur Andersen. Steve, with his shirt meticulously tucked in, and Deb, who was often juggling an overpoured cup of coffee, proved that sometimes opposites really do attract. Steve and Deb would make a longtime home in the Chicagoland area, with Steve graduating from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and building a proud career in finance spanning more than four decades. Together, Steve and Deb's partnership in life and love touched all who knew them.

They welcomed their son, Matt, into the world on February 6, 1998. Over the course of his 28 years with his beloved son, Steve tried his best to instill a love of all things sports-from taking Matt to countless Green Bay Packers and Cincinnati Reds games, to coaching Matt's (B team) junior high basketball team. But Matt inherited Steve's stubbornness, and a love for sports was not to be. So like Steve and his father before him, instead they bonded over their mutual love for reading and history, and Steve settled for the quiet pride that came from watching his son graduate from the University of Wisconsin and attend law school at George Washington University.

Since the 1970s, an abiding love for nature and his family has regularly drawn Steve back to North Carolina's Outer Banks. Bonfires on the beach, late night hunts for sand crabs, long walks along the shore, and hours spent with his feet in the water were just some of the simple pleasures and cherished traditions he inherited from his parents and loved to celebrate with Kelly, Rick, Shannon, Vicki, and all his dear nieces and nephews over the course of his life.

Steve also had the distinct and unique pleasure of living down the street from his mother- and father-in-law, whom he joined every Sunday evening for a homemade dinner. Deb's mother, the late Judy Pagano, often called him her "favorite son-in-law," a title he warmly embraced despite the lack of competition. But the "in-law" qualifier never did Steve's relationship with the Pagano family justice, for he was truly a brother in all but blood to John, Russ, Barb, and Amy, and a beloved uncle to their children.

All who knew Steve will remember him for his quick wit, sharp mind, big heart, quiet humor in tough moments, and ever-practical approach to life and its challenges. Wherever Steve went, a tasteful Seinfeld reference or a well-placed dry joke was never far behind. Closer still were his beloved dogs: Haley, Sandy, Jenny, and Dottie-all of them Boxers united across the decades in their boundless energy and unconditional love. But regardless of species, all who crossed Steve's path were made better for it, and all miss him more than the words on this page could convey.

A visitation will be held on Friday, March 6, 2026, 4:00-7:00 PM at Friedrich-Jones Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 44 S. Mill St., Naperville, IL 60540.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, March 7, 11:00 AM at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church, Kingston & Front Streets, Lisle, IL 60532 with Fr. Gabriel Baltes, O.S. B. officiating.

After the funeral mass, everyone is invited to a luncheon reception.

Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Stephen's memory may be made to:

Mercy Home for Boys & Girls, 1140 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL, 60607, 1-877-637-2955, https://www.mercyhome.org/

or

St. Vincent de Paul Society, c/o St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church, 820 Division Street, Lisle, Illinois 60532, (630) 353-4533, mzurek@sjalisle.org, https://sjalisle.org/st-vincent-depaul

For more information, please visit www.friedrich-jones.com or call (630) 355-0213.