Henry Francis "Skip" O'Connor Jr.

1943 - 2021

On Thursday, August 19, 2021 Henry (Skip) Francis O'Connor, Jr. passed away peacefully at Memorial Hospital in Greenville, SC surrounded by his family. Skip was born on June 16, 1943, in New Orleans to Virginia Schwartz O'Connor and Henry F. O'Connor. The oldest of four, he graduated from Jesuit High School and went on to Tulane University where in six short years he earned his bachelor's degree in business and his law degree, notwithstanding being a NAVY ROTC participant and a long-serving social chair of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. While at Tulane, he met his beloved wife of 55 years, Marsha Dumas O'Connor. He began his legal career with the Small Business Administration in Denver, Colorado where he would welcome his only son, Henry F. O'Connor III. Anxious to move closer to family, Skip moved back to New Orleans and embarked on a long and distinguished career in real estate law with Steeg and O'Connor. Skip earned national recognition from numerous legal publications, was elected to serve in the American College of Real Estate Lawyers, and played an integral role in the development of many commercial and cultural landmarks throughout New Orleans. His passion for real estate took a turn from law to business, when in 1995, Skip co-founded TVG Development and went on to develop and own nine limited service Marriott hotels throughout Louisiana. Skip finished his career at Fishman Haygood, where he stayed active in the legal and hotel ownership arenas. As his career grew, his family did as well, with two girls, Margaret Virginia O'Connor and Jane Dumas O'Connor. His family complete, Skip embarked on a number of community involvement initiatives, serving on multiple non-profit boards, civic organizations, and church governing bodies, including Trinity Episcopal School, Lighthouse for the Blind, the Bureau of Governmental Research, the New Orleans Board of Liquidation, and the Vestry of Trinity Episcopal Church. Throughout his life, Skip cultivated numerous friendships as an active member of several social clubs in New Orleans and Highlands, North Carolina, all of which he thoroughly enjoyed. Skip had many passions beyond family, friends, and work. He was a lifetime sailor, spending many spare moments on the water tinkering on his sailboats. He sailed with his family and close friends all over the world. The Antigua Race Week was a particular favorite. He was also an aspiring golfer and outdoorsman. Walking his beloved dogs around Audubon Park or the trails around Highlands was a daily endeavor. Skip lived with so much joy and enthusiasm and his greatest love was his family. He is survived by the love of his life, Marsha; his children, Henry (Ashley Inge O'Connor), Margaret Ledbetter (Scott Pearson Ledbetter III) and Jane Wesley (Jon Griffiths Wesley) and eight grandchildren: Eugenia Greer O'Connor, Henry Clarke O'Connor, John Inge O'Connor, Scott Pearson Ledbetter III, James England Ledbetter, Virginia Claire Ledbetter, William Henry Wesley and James Hickson Wesley; as well as his siblings Mercedes O'Connor Fast and John M.B. O'Connor and multiple nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents and his brother James (Jim) Joseph O'Connor (Chee Chee Charbonnet O'Connor). Skip will be interred at Trinity Episcopal Church and a Memorial Service will be planned at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Trinity Episcopal School, the Highlands Cashiers Land Trust, or Tulane University School of Medicine's Research Memorial in honor of James F. Dumas, M.D.