Dorothea O'Connor

Dorothea was born on January 17, 1927 in Brooklyn, New York, the second daughter of Dr. Joseph Vincent and Ladislava Glamkowski. Her childhood years were spent on North 6th Street in the North End of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the neighborhood adjoining the Polish enclave of Greenpoint. As a child, she contracted but recovered from polio. Her family moved to the Clinton Hill section of Brooklyn and attended Queen of All Saints Parish. The family spent time at Spring Lake, New Jersey during summers. Dorothea attended St. Angela Hall High School, and while in high school, at the age of 17, her father passed away from cancer. Dorothea earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Education at Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart, after which she worked several years as a grammar school teacher. Dorothea married J. Kenneth O’Connor on December 27, 1950 at her parish church in a ceremony presided over by her uncle, Rev. Edward Glamkowski. The wedding reception was held at the Union Club on Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn.

Dorothea and Kenneth had 17 children, three of whom died in infancy. Their first residence was in the East Flatbush section of Brooklyn where they were members of St. Vincent Ferrer Parish. Their first 9 children grew up in the neighborhood, received their sacraments at the church, attended the Catholic grammar school, and participated in the parish’s activities. In 1962, when the attached home in East Flatbush was outgrown, the family moved to the Ditmas Park neighborhood and became parishioners at Holy Innocents Parish. The five youngest daughters, including a set of twins, joined the family. All of the children, except for Frank, attended Holy Innocents Grammar School run by the Sisters of Mercy, and all were involved in various parish sports and activities. Frank, because of his autism, was enrolled in different educational programs and services throughout his childhood and adolescence. In addition to raising her youngest children, during this time, Dorothea also raised Slone, her great niece, for a year and a half.

During summers, Dorothea managed the family and family activities at Brainerd Farm, a former boarding house in Windham in the Catskills, where the family attended Sunday Masses at St. Theresa of the Child Jesus. Each summer, Dorothea coordinated a very large, extended family gathering in conjunction with a family golf tournament.

As her children reached adulthood and married, Dorothea always enjoyed family gatherings with her children and their families. She reveled in her grandchildren and great children, and she and Ken attended every Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Graduation and Birthday they were able to. Her and Ken’s generosity extended to invitations to week-long vacations in Disney World in Florida or weeks at their condominium in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Many of the large family gatherings and occasions have been preserved in family photographs, often spanning three generations.

In February 1993, Dorothea, Kenneth and Frank moved to the North End section of Eastchester, New York, in Westchester County and became members of the Parish of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Scarsdale. Over her many years in the parish, Dorothea participated in a number of activities - she was an active member of Veronica’s Guild, she filled various roles in the Church Library, she worked with Korean parishioners learning English as a second language, she helped coordinate the annual Christmas Card program, she donated food every week to the parish food pantry, and she regularly signed up for Eucharistic Adoration. Her other volunteer activities included Knit Wits at White Plains Hospital and assembling rosaries for Our Lady’s Rosary Makers.

After her husband Kenneth passed away in 2016, Dorothea continued to care for her son Frank, finding employment (working at Mechtronics near Westchester County Airport and later in Beacon) activities (bowling league, cooking classes) and programs (Southeast Consortium). She continued to care for Frank until he passed away at the age of 69, when she was 96.

Dorothea is predeceased by her husband Kenneth, her oldest son Christopher, infant Peter, her son Frank, infant Theresa and infant John. She is also predeceased by her parents and her older sister Veronica. Dorothea is survived by Christopher’s wife Ellen, Paul O’Connor (and

his wife Marie), Virginia Walonoski (and her husband Joseph), Patrick O’Connor (and his wife

Gina), Betsy O’Connor, Stephen O’Connor (and his wife Trina), Andrew O’Connor (and his wife

Carol), Michael O’Connor, Catherine O’Connor (and her husband Andres Garcia), Margaret

McCabe, Ann Louise Peyton (and her husband Kevin), Bernadette O’Connor (and her husband Michael Berwind), and Joan Gregory (and her husband Robert). In addition, Dorothea is survived by 22 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to one of the following charitable organizations -

The Christophers 264 W 40th Street, Suite 603 New York, New York 10018

Sisters of Life Annunciation 38 Montebello Road Suffern, NY 10901

Immaculate Heart of Mary Church 8 Carman Road Scarsdale, New York 10583

EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network) 5817 Old Leeds Road. Irondale, AL 35210