Donald O'Connor

DONALD EDWARD O'CONNOR Of Clarksville, Maryland, passed away peacefully in his sleep in the early morning hours of Friday, September 8, 2017. Born June 18, 1936, in Washington, DC, Donald grew up with his brother, Robert and sister, Arlene in Alexandria, Virginia. For his post-secondary studies, Donald attended the George Washington University, earning both a bachelor's and master's degree in business administration. While attending GW, Donald married Patricia Theisz and, after graduation, went into a career with the Securities and Exchange Commission, where he served as the Chief of Branch of Market Surveillance from 1964 to 1969. Following his years of public service, Donald accepted a position with the Investment Company Institute. At ICI, he was the Vice President of Operations from 1969 to 1993, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at ICI Mutual Insurance Company from 1987 to 1997, and a financial consultant in the mutual fund industry from 1997 to 2015. After retiring from his management duties, Donald served as an Independent Trustee of Advisors Series Trust Semper MBS Total Return Fund, a Trustee of Forward Manage- ment LLC, and as a Trustee of various USFS Funds and Forward Funds. Outside of work, Donald involved himself in his community. He served as the president of the local pool in Fort Washington, helped outfit the Friendly High School "Patriots" Pom-Poms Squad with the best three-cornered hats, and orchestrated travel arrangements for the high school's championship cross-country and track team. Donald also had a knack for real estate investment and enjoyed the challenge of building. From his first project in Drum Point, where Donald built an A-frame cottage on the Patuxent River, to his more recent acquisition of apartments in Alexandria, Donald's real estate hobby never ceased. He served as the President the Mariner's Court Condominium Association in Rehoboth Beach for more than 30 years, and he was a board member for his properties in Alexandria. In his true leisure time, Donald read the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, loved Maryland crabs, and was fiercely competitive against family and friends in games of backgammon, tripoly, and monopoly. In his Clarksville home, Donald and his wife Patricia filled an entire room with games of all types that were enjoyed by all, especially their grandchildren. Donald was preceded in death by his parents, William E. O'Connor and Josephine Buonagurio; brother, Robert; sister, Arlene; and wife, Patricia. He is survived by his daughter, Donna O'Connor Bounds (Ron); son, Chris O'Connor, and grandchildren, Ryan, Erin, Shannon and Kylie, as well as his niece, Cathy O'Connor. Memorial gifts can be made to the American Heart Association, Gilchrist Hospice, or to the hurricane relief efforts in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where Donald vacationed for many years with family.

Family will receive friends on Saturday, September 16 from 11:30AM-12:30PM at Witzke Funeral Homes, Inc, 5555 Twin Knolls Road, Columbia, MD 21045; where a Funeral Service will follow at 12:30PM. Interment to follow at the Columbia Memorial Park.