On Tuesday, March 06, 2019, James Walter O'Connor, loving husband of Frances, passed away at the age of 76.

Jim grew up in Tampa, FL, serving as an altar boy and playing football at Jesuit High School.  He enrolled in St. Leo College, but preferred enlisting in the Air Force in April 1962.  He married his partner-in-life Frances (Hannaway) that year in November.

While in the Air Force, Jim began his career in electronics and communications.  He gained a reputation for ingenuity and hard work, and was chosen to be on the communications staff of Lyndon Johnson's ranch while he was president.  Upon discharge, Jim began working his way up in the TV cable industry, starting by doing home cable service installations and ending by designing and managing cable systems.  He moved to the local area to be a regional engineer for Tribune Communications, and later became Howard County, Maryland's cable administrator.

Always curious, Jim was an early user and programmer of personal computers, which became a life-long avocation.  You know you are an expert if your children and grandchildren are asking you for computer and electronics advice.  Jim also became an expert in Civil War history, sometimes writing to history book authors to tell them of errors in their books.  He enjoyed visiting the graves of Civil War veterans whenever he traveled to an area for the first time.  He was avid in researching the genealogical history of his family, finding that sixteenth-century Christopher Newport, commander of the fleet that established Jamestown as the first permanent English settlement in the Americas, was his ninth great-grandfather. He recently took his research to Ireland to consult with his cousins there.

Always working to contribute to his community, Jim was a Boy Scout scoutmaster, a tour guide for The Baltimore Basilica of the Assumption, and a volunteer for the Apostleship of the Sea.  He was also on innumerable church committees, neighborhood commissions, and Scout leader boards.

Known for his humor and optimism, he loved games of all sorts, travel and cruises with Fran, the outdoors, photography, and reading history and science fiction books, for which he seemed to have a photographic memory.  He was not known to ever turn down dessert, especially chocolate, or a glass of scotch.

Jim did not grow up at a time when saying "I love you" came readily, but he showed his love by his actions.   He was still holding Fran's hand after 56 years of marriage, and kissing her goodbye when she left the house.  A proud, engaged and beloved grandparent, he attended every grandchild's high school and college graduation, and countless concerts, recitals, meets, games, birthdays, and grandparent's days.

Jim was preceded in death by his father, John, his mother, Bessie, and his son-in-law Edwin. He is greatly missed by his wife Frances, his four children, James Jr. and wife Crystal, Susan, Kelly, and Kevin and wife Christie, his brothers John, Michael, Charles and Joseph, his sister Patricia, and his nine grandchildren, Montie, Brennan, Thomas, Wesley, Sean, Katherine, James III, Baker, and Holmes.

A funeral mass will be held on Thursday, March 14 ^th , 2019 at St. Theresa Catholic Church, 21370 St. Theresa Lane, Ashburn, VA.  Visitation will start at 9:30 a.m. and the mass will start at 10:30 a.m.  The interment service will be at 2:00 p.m. at Quantico National Cemetery, Jim joining the ranks of honored military veterans.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Apostleship of the Sea, 320 Cathedral Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201 (443-845-7227).