Ralph Cullinan O'Connor Sr.

JUNE 22, 1920- OCTOBER 11, 2015

RALPH CULLINAN O’CONNOR, SR. PASSED AWAY OCTOBER 11, 2015, IN STAUNTON, VIRGINIA. HE WAS BORN JUNE 22, 1920, TO ARTHUR MAXWELL O’CONNOR AND JETTA FITZGERALD O’CONNOR IN CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS, AND GREW UP IN NEARBY REVERE OUTSIDE BOSTON. HE ATTENDED NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY UNTIL THE OUTBREAK OF WORLD WAR II, WHEN HE ENLISTED IN THE U.S. ARMY. HIS WARTIME SERVICE WAS MAINLY AT ARLINGTON HALL, HOME TO THE ARMY’S SIGNAL INTELLIGENCE SERVICE CRYPTOGRAPHY EFFORT.

HE MARRIED BERYL CLAIRE MARCOTTE ON FEBRUARY 27, 1943. AFTER HIS DISCHARGE FROM THE ARMY HE ATTENDED THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE, WHERE HE WAS SPORTS EDITOR OF THE NEWSPAPER AND THE YEARBOOK. HE GRADUATED FROM UNH IN 1948 WITH A DEGREE IN ENGLISH.

IN 1952 RALPH JOINED THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY IN LANGLEY, VIRGINIA, AND HE AND BERYL SETTLED IN ARLINGTON, EVENTUALLY MOVING TO FALLS CHURCH AND THEN ANNANDALE. THEY WERE FOUNDING MEMBERS OF ST. PHILIP’S CATHOLIC CHURCH IN FALLS CHURCH AND WERE ACTIVE IN THE PARISH; THEY COORDINATED AND SERVED MONTHLY CHILI DINNERS AT CHRIST HOUSE IN ALEXANDRIA FOR MANY YEARS.

IN 1973 RALPH RETIRED FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AFTER TWENTY YEARS OF SERVICE, INCLUDING ASSIGNMENTS IN TAIPEI, TAIWAN, IN THE EARLY 1960S AND IN LONDON IN THE EARLY 1970S. IN ADDITION TO THEIR OVERSEAS POSTS, RALPH AND BERYL TRAVELED TO EUROPE A NUMBER OF TIMES AND THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES. MANY WINTERS THEY VISITED FAMILY AND FRIENDS IN FLORIDA FOR SEVERAL WEEKS AND ENJOYED GOING TO SPRING TRAINING BASEBALL GAMES.

THEIR FAVORITE VACATION SPOTS WERE BETHANY BEACH, DELAWARE, AND WATOGA STATE PARK, WEST VIRGINIA. AT WATOGA THEY WERE IN A GROUP OF THREE FAMILIES THAT CAME BACK THE SAME WEEK IN JULY FOR CLOSE TO TWENTY YEARS.

RALPH ICE-SKATED AT MT. VERNON AND FAIRFAX ICE ARENAS NEARLY EVERY TUESDAY FROM THE 1960S UNTIL THE LATE 1990S. AS A BOY HE LEARNED TO SWIM IN THE OCEAN OFF REVERE BEACH AND IN RETIREMENT ENJOYED SWIMMING AT PROVIDENCE POOL AND AT THE VILLAGES. HE FOLLOWED THE FORTUNES OF WASHINGTON PRO FOOTBALL AND THE ORIOLES AND RED SOX IN BASEBALL. HIS FAVORITE SPORT, THOUGH, WAS HOCKEY, DATING BACK TO PLAYING IN HIS YOUTH AND SNEAKING INTO THE OLD BOSTON GARDEN. KNOWN AFFECTIONATELY AS “ACE” IN THE FAMILY, HE TOLD MANY STORIES THAT BEGAN “WHEN I WAS A BOY...” HE WAS A MASTER OF COOKING HOLIDAY TURKEYS ON THE WEBER.

IN RETIREMENT HE WAS AN ACTIVE VOLUNTEER FOR THE FAIRFAX COUNTY DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE, COMMON CAUSE, AND ST. PHILIP’S. THE O’CONNORS LIVED IN ANNANDALE UNTIL 2007 WHEN THEY MOVED TO THE VILLAGES IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. IN 2012 THEY MOVED TO STAUNTON, WHERE HE HAD THE WASHINGTON POST DELIVERED UNTIL RECENTLY.

HE IS PREDECEASED BY HIS WIFE BERYL, WHO PASSED AWAY IN 2013; HIS BROTHERS ARTHUR, ROBERT, AND PAUL, AND SISTERS HELEN AND MARJORIE. HIS SURVIVORS INCLUDE A SISTER, DOROTHEA TYREE; FOUR CHILDREN: RALPH JR. AND WIFE DIDI; SEAN AND WIFE JULYA ROSE HODGE; JANE STANGE AND HUSBAND PATRICK; AND NOREEN AND HUSBAND TED ABEL; NINE GRANDCHILDREN: DR. LYRA RATMEYER AND HUSBAND STEVE, RYAN O’CONNOR AND WIFE JACKIE, KEVIN O’CONNOR; SEAN DAVID O’CONNOR AND WIFE BLAIRE SKINNER; JULIA ROSE O’CONNOR SLABY AND HUSBAND TRAVIS; SARAH SOBCZYK AND HUSBAND MICAH; ANDREA STANGE; BRYAN W. STANGE AND WIFE ASHLEY; SEAMUS ABEL; AND GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN MAX AND NORA RATMEYER, EVELYN AND CONNOR SLABY, HARRISON SOBCZYK, AND CHLOE AND KATIE STANGE.