Col. John M. O’Connor, USA, Retired, 77 of Vero Beach, FL passed away on August 27, 2018. John is survived by his wife of 51 years, Carol; his daughters, Amy and Carey; his grandchildren Julian and Conor and will be missed by his pets, Hank and Harry. John graduated from Virginia Military Institute in 1963 and served proudly in the United States Army for 27 years as a Combat Engineer. After retiring from the Army, John received his USCG “six pack” license and drove the water taxi in Annapolis, Md gathering information to help provision their SV Knockatoone for cruising the east coast and the Bahamas. After cruising, Carol and John spent summers at their cabin in Waynesville, NC hiking and exploring the mountains of western North Carolina.
Private family services will be held at a later date at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in memory of Col. O’Connor to K9s for Warriors.