John O'Connor

HE DIED APRIL 24, 2011 AT THE AGE OF 65.

HE MARRIED NANCY LEA BAXTER ON FEBRUARY 6, 1965 AND THEY WERE MARRIED FOR A WONDERFUL 46 YEARS. THEY HAD FOUR KIDS: EENY, MEENY, MINEY AND WHOOPS, SO HE CALLED US. HE WAS A GREAT HUSBAND, FATHER, FRIEND, POPPY AND BUSINESSMAN.

HE ALWAYS SAID WE ALL HAVE A TICKET OUT OF HERE WE JUST DON’T KNOW WHEN IT WILL BE PUNCHED AND UNFORTUNATELY HIS CAME WAY TOO SOON.

HE HAD SEVERAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN HIS LIFETIME AND MOST OF THEM WERE PERTAINING TO THE KIDS OF THE COMMUNITY.

HE WAS PRESIDENT OF THE LITTLE LEAGUE FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND HAD SPONSORED A TEAM FOR OVER 30 YEARS. HE WAS KNOWN FOR STARTING THE FIELDS OVER BEHIND THE COLT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. HE ALSO HELPED TO START THE GIRLS SOFTBALL PROGRAM.

BESIDES THE LITTLE LEAGUE HE ENJOYED GOING TO THE BASKETBALL GAMES AND SEEING THE LITTLE ONES GROW AND PROSPER ESPECIALLY THE ONES THAT WERE CHILDREN OF THE PARENTS THAT USED TO HANG OUT AT THE HOUSE WHEN THEY WERE LITTLE.

HE WAS ALSO A SPONSOR OF THE LEGACY FUND SINCE IT STARTED AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.

ANOTHER PROGRAM THAT HE WAS A TEAM PLAYER IN WAS THE TOYS FOR TOTS PROGRAM. ONE YEAR HE BOUGHT A STORAGE SHED FULL OF SHOES AND THERE WITH 1000 PAIRS TO DISTRIBUTE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.

COATS FOR KIDS WAS A BIG DEAL TO HIM EACH YEAR. HE WORKED WITH THE LIONS CLUB AND FOR SEVERAL YEARS HE WOULD PAY FOR THE CLEANING OF THE COATS BEFORE THEY GOT HANDED OUT.

ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS HE DID FOR THE KIDS WAS BEING A SPONSOR AT THE BURNET COUNTY LIVESTOCK SHOW EVERY YEAR SINCE 1976. HE LOVED WATCHING THE KIDS GROW AND PRODUCE THIER ANIMALS EVERY YEAR AND HE LOVED SEEING THEM GROW UP. HE SOMETIMES SAW THREE DIFFERENT GENERATIONS GO THROUGH THAT RING. THIS YEAR THEY STARTED AN AWARD CALLED THE JOHN O’CONNOR SPORTMANSHIP AWARD THAT WILL GO ON IN HIS NAME TO A CHILD THAT RAISES STEERS AND HAS GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP.

OTHER THINGS NOT PERTAINING TO THE YOUNG FOLKS ARE EMS, FIRE DEPARTMENT AND RELAY FOR LIFE. ANYTIME THERE WAS A FUNCTION HE WAS THERE TO HELP.

HIS FIRST JOB WAS IN A CATTLE SLAUGHER PLANT, AND FOR FUN SOMETIMES, HE’D PUT AN EYEBALL FROM A COW IN HIS LUNCH BOX, FOR NANCY TO FIND. IT USUALLY SCARED THE TAR OUT OF HER. HE ALSO WORKED FOR A CATTLE BUYING AND SALES COMPANY IN SIOUX CITY, IOWA FOR AWHILE TOO.

WHEN RETURNING TO MISSOURI, HE WORKED IN SALES, THEN STARTED WITH FIRESTONE. HE STARTED AS SERVICE MANAGER, AND ALWAYS GOT TOP BILLING FROM AKRON, OHIO, (CORPORATE OFFICE OF FIRESTONE) THEN ON TO, CREDIT MANAGER, AND HE CLEANED UP ALL THE PAST DUE BILLS, AND AGAIN GOT TOP ACCOMPLISHMENTS FROM THE MAIN OFFICE. HE WENT ON TO BECOME ASSISTANT MANAGER AND MANAGER, AND THAT’S WHEN HE KNEW IF HE COULD DO IT FOR FIRESTONE, HE COULD DO IT FOR HIMSELF.

HE OPENED HIS FIRST STORE IN WARRENSBURG, MISSOURI, AND LOVED IT THERE. HE WENT INTO THE BANK THERE AND ASKED THE PRESIDENT IF HE COULD TALK TO HIM, AND HE SAID “I THINK YOU’VE GOT A GOOD IDEA, LETS GO SEE IT”, AND THAT IS WHEN HE GOT HIS FIRST BIG LOAN ON HIS SIGNATURE, AND HIS PROMISE TO PAY IT ALL BACK.

WHEN HE MOVED TO MARBLE FALLS IN 1976, HE OPENED O’CONNOR TIRES AND IN 1981 THAT WASN’T ENOUGH TO KEEP HIM BUSY SO HE OPENED THE LUBE CHANGERS RIGHT NEXT DOOR. WHILE THAT WAS GOING ON HE ALSO BUILT ELEVEN OTHER LUBE STATIONS, TEN IN TEXAS AND ONE IN KANSAS. HE WAS A MAN OF HIS WORD AND EVERYONE KNEW IT.

IN 1999 HE ESTABLISHED O’CONNOR TRAILERS WHERE HE STILL WAS RUNNING IT FROM HIS CHAIR ‘TIL THE VERY LAST DAY.

HE ALSO GOT HIS PILOTS LICENSE ALONG THE WAY AND HAD HIS OWN PLANE.

ONE OF HIS FAVORITE THINGS WAS GOING TO THE OLD FARTS TABLE OF KNOWLEDGE EVERY MORNING AT CHARLIE’S AND SOLVING THE WORLDS PROBLEMS. THAT WAS A GREAT WAY TO START THE DAY. IF SOMEONE STARTED TO TELL A JOKE, YOU CAN BET THAT HE HAD ALREADY HEARD THAT ONE. THERE WASN’T A DAY THAT WENT BY THAT WE DIDN’T GET A PHONE CALL SAYING “WHAT IS THE JOKE FOR TODAY?”

HE IS SURVIVED BY WIFE NANCY, DAUGHTERS PATTY KIRKPATRICK AND HUSBAND STANLEY, KIMMY WILSON AND HUSBAND NEIL, BOTH FROM MARBLE FALLS, TEXAS, JOHN O’CONNOR AND WIFE KAREN FROM LLANO, TEXAS, SCOTT O’CONNOR AND WIFE CARRIE FROM HUTTO, TEXAS, HIS MOTHER BETTY O’CONNOR FROM MARBLE FALLS, TEXAS AND GRAND CHILDREN COOPER AND CODY WILSON, JACK CAHALANE, AND BRANTLEY AND BRAEDYN O’CONNOR.

HE IS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY SONS JUSTIN LEE O’CONNOR AND SCOTT RYAN O’CONNOR.

PALL BEARERS WILL BE RAY CAGLE, JIM DIPPREY, STAN COLLIER, JOHNNY BERLIN, RITCHIE GIESECKE, AND WADE HIBLER. HONORARY PALL BEARERS ARE RON SCHREIBER, DUANE MICHEL, MARTIN McLEAN, JACK CAHALANE, CODY AND COOPER WILSON, BRANTLEY AND BRAEDYN O’CONNOR.

IN LIEU OF FLOWERS PLEASE MAKE A DONATION TO JOHNNY O’CONNOR MEMORIAL FUND c/o HIGHLAND LAKES LEGACY FUND P.O. BOX 234 MARBLE FALLS, TEXAS 78654.

ONE OTHER THING TO KEEP IN MIND IS WHEN EVER YOU HEAR A JOKE YOU CAN ALWAYS SAY, WONDER IF THAT ONE CAME FROM JOHNNY.

THANKS DAD FOR ALL OF THE GREAT MEMORIES AND ALL THAT YOU DID FOR ALL OF US. WE WILL MISS YOU DEARLY.

MOM ALWAYS SAYS, SHE HAD THE BEST LIFE ANYONE COULD HAVE HAD, LOTS OF LAUGHS, JOKES AND LOVE.

VISITATION WILL BE FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 2010 FROM 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM AT CLEMENTS-WILCOX FUNERAL HOME, MARBLE FALLS. FUNERAL SERVICE WILL BE SATURDAY, APRIL 30, 2011 AT 10;00 AM AT MARBLE FALLS HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM WITH KENNETH WOMACK AND DANIELLE CASEY OFFICIATING. INTERMENT WILL FOLLOW AT LAKELAND HILLS MEMORIAL PARK.

CONDOLENCES MAY BE OFFERED AT www.clementswilcoxfuneralhome.com.

ARRANGEMENTS ARE UNDER THE DIRECTION OF CLEMENTS-WILCOX FUNERAL HOME OF MARBLE FALLS, TEXAS.