Joseph Francis O'Connor

Joseph Francis O’Connor (Joe) passed away peacefully and surrounded by his family on November 19th at the age of 82. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Connie, his two children, Ezra and Lydia, and his much-adored grandchildren, Elijah (Catie), Aidan, and Zoe, of whom he was immensely proud. He also leaves behind his beloved canine companion, Beau, who never liked anyone but him.

An “Akron boy” born in 1943 at St. Thomas Hospital in Akron, OH, Joe is survived by 4 of his siblings, Michael (Marge), Patrick (Phyllis), Kevin (Karen), and Mary Ellen. He was received in heaven by his youngest brother Timothy, his parents Mary Juanita and Joseph Francis Sr, and his grandparents John and Mary Genevieve Kelley.

Professor O’Connor graduated with a PhD from Ohio State University while teaching at Antioch College before moving to Washington, DC in 1971 to join the Classics Department at Georgetown University. Joe retired from Georgetown in 2004 before joining the Department of Greek and Latin at The Catholic University of America where he taught part time until 2018. Professor O’Connor was beloved by colleagues at GU and CUA who benefited from his immense intellect, continual curiosity, and his gentle, generous heart. He taught a dazzling variety of subjects and was never afraid of experimenting. He mentored multiple classes of graduate students, taught large courses, and shepherded struggling undergraduates through senior theses to complete their degrees. He was a published author, traveling often to Italy where he translated texts written in ancient languages at the Vatican library, and was honored to become one of the first faculty ombuds during his last decade a Georgetown.

Joe moved with his family to Arlington, VA in 1975 after purchasing an Arlington Forest home where he and his wife lived for nearly 50 years. Joe was a devout Roman Catholic and faithfully attended services at his much-loved parish Our Lady Queen of Peace where he was a member of the choir. He was also a proud and active member of Alcoholics Anonymous. Over the course of 24 years, Joe sponsored many men in the program and was a beloved cookie maker at his homegroup. Through AA, Joe met and developed deeply personal long-term relationships based solely on common core beliefs. These connections with others, solidified through spiritual exploration and anchored within an all-inclusive fellowship, shaped the second half of his adult life.

Joe dedicated himself to social justice and participated exclusively in venues where he could be socially impactful. He possessed the rare gift of making friends everywhere he went. Feeding people and bringing people together through the communion table was a great source of joy. He loved to bake, to make meals from scratch, and contribute to his parish food bank.

Joe was a Nationals baseball fan, proudly attending games even when the team was in a losing streak, and always bringing others along with him. He believed attending games wasn’t about the baseball, but a chance to build friendships and enjoy the company of others (but the game was pretty fun too). Never without a book, Joe was a voracious reader, exchanging books continuously with friends and family and donating to the local library.

His wise counsel, disarming wit, sharp intellect, open heartedness, humility, and genuine humanity will be deeply missed.

A viewing and celebration of life is being planned at Murphy's Funeral Home in Arlington, VA on Saturday, Nov 29th from 12-4pm (remarks and remembrances will begin around 2pm). We have planned for a virtual option to attend the celebration of life, for those who cannot travel. The link is here: https://client.tribucast.com/tcid/c25116200840592

We will also hold a memorial mass at his church Our Lady Queen of Peace in South Arlington on December 5th at 11am. Please give donations to the Food Pantry at OLQP in his name in lieu of flowers.