John E. “Jack” O’Connor

May 3, 2008

A prayer service for John “Jack” O’Connor will be Tuesday, 10 am at the Reed & Benoit Funeral Home, Watertown, followed by a funeral mass at 11am at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Black River with Rev. Andrew R. Mulvaney, pastor, officiating. Graveside services will be Tuesday, 2pm in Glenwood Cemetery. Calling hours will be Monday from 2p – 4pm and 7p – 9pm at the Reed &Benoit Funeral Home.

Contributions may be made to the Black River Ambulance Squad or to St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Black River.

Mr. O’Connor, 75, of School St., Felts Mills, died Friday in the emergency room of the Samaritan Medical Center.

He was born in Ogdensburg, December 12, 1932, a son of G.W. “Bill” and Ruth Murphy O’Connor. He graduated from Immaculate Heart Academy in 1950. Following graduation, he joined the US Air Force in April of 1951, serving in Northern Africa until honorably discharged with the rank of Staff Sergeant in December of 1953.

Mr. O’Connor worked for AT&T, New York Telephone, NYNEX and Verizon from 1955 until retiring in 1988 as garage foreman. After his retirement from Verizon, he formed J. & Co., a vehicle transportation company for Verizon, turning it over to his son Michael in 1994. Mr. O’Connor served as vice president of the O’Connor Burial Vault Co. on Cook Rd., Watertown for many years.

He was a founding and life member of the Barnes Corners Snow Pals snowmobiling club and enjoyed riding with his grandchildren. He enjoyed camping, hunting and reading. He was a member of St. Paul’s of Black River and St. Rita’s in Deferiet catholic churchs. He was a member of the Black River American Legion Post 673, Telephone Pioneers and had spent the past 5 winters in Lake Okeechobee, FL.

He married Marian K. Oberton June 5, 1954 at St. Patrick’s Church, Watertown with Rev. William Coffey officiating.

Besides his wife, he is survived by 2 sons, Michael and his companion, Linda Mellen, Carthage, Patrick and Nancy, Evans Mills. 8 grandchildren, 1 great grandson. A brother and sister-in-law, Thomas and Ellen, Watertown. 3 sisters, Irene O’Connor, E. Amherst, Mary (Dan) Lynch, Grand Island, Kathleen (Douglas) Salmon, Sun City Center, FL. Several nieces and nephews.