Christopher Connor Wills

Christopher Connor Wills (known as Connor), 33, of West Palm Beach, Florida, died November 30, 2021 from a long illness. He was born November 2, 1988 in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Mary (Sisi) C. Wills and the late Christopher R. Wills. He was graduated from the Gilman School, Baltimore, Maryland, in 2007 and received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame in 2011.

Connor trained for over ten years at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club (NBAC) and swam four years varsity for both Gilman and Notre Dame. He held several varsity swimming records at Gilman for fifteen years and was the 86th ranked college recruit by CollegeSwimming.Com. As a high school swimmer, he was ranked in the top 5 of Maryland swimmers for 7 different events and nationally ranked 6th in the 200-meter backstroke. Connor was a four-time, high school All-American and a Maryland state champion in each of his four seasons swimming for Gilman.

While at Notre Dame, Connor qualified for the 2008 Olympic Trials in the 200-meter butterfly and was a member of the swim team that won two Big East Conference Championships. He was a four-time Notre Dame Monogram Winner and exited the Irish program as the third best performer in the 100-meter backstroke and the fifth best performer in the 200-meter backstroke in school history. Connor was also the first male swimmer from NBAC to qualify for Olympic Trials after Michael Phelps. Before becoming ill, Connor worked in the financial industry in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Connor is survived by his mother and two sisters Mary Katherine (Molly) and Grace Wills, all of West Palm Beach, Florida. He also leaves behind his maternal and paternal grandmothers, Jean L. Connor of Naples, Florida and Sister Grace Anne Wills, T.O.R., of Steubenville, Ohio. In addition, Connor is survived by several aunts, uncles and cousins.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by Quattlebaum Funeral, Cremation and Event Center in West Palm Beach. The funeral service will be held on December 8, 2021 at 11:00 A.M. at Christ Fellowship Church Chapel at 5312 Northlake Blvd. in Palm Beach Gardens. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you consider a donation to The Lovemark Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting brain cancer patients and their families, at [email protected].