Joseph O'Connor

Joe was born on November 28th, 1936 in Wolverhampton England. He was the youngest of 5 brothers to Winifred and Thomas O’Connor. After school he enlisted in the Royal Armoured Corps, Royal Hussars from May 1955 - May 1957 for the National Service. Then the Emergency Reserve from May 1957 to November 1960. During this time he was briefly married to the mother of his first born child, a daughter named Sue. After his service he worked for John Thompson’s Limited in Ettingshall, Wolverhampton England as an Ultrasonic Engineer. He met his future wife, Patricia Stacey, at a dance in 1960. They were married on May 23, 1964 in Birmingham, England. In September of 1966, Joe, Pat and their daughter Karina emigrated from England to Canada. They sailed from Liverpool to Quebec via the Cunard Liner the Corinthia. They lived in Toronto Canada while Joe continued work as an Ultrasonic Engineer. After two years in Canada, in January of 1968, they emigrated to the United States of America. Joe took a job working for a metallurgical laboratory in Indianapolis Indiana as well as working part time construction for a home builder. He then went to work full time in the home building construction industry and expanded his family with another daughter, Stacy, and son, Sean. Eventually he started his own custom home building company in Indianapolis. Joe and Pat became official United States Citizens in 1978. He continued working as a custom home builder in Indiana until November of 1981 when the family moved to Edmond, Oklahoma. There Joe worked as a multifamily residential construction superintendent. In January of 1985 the family made their way to Collierville, Tennessee then eventually to Tarpon Springs Florida in the summer of 1985 where Joe continued working in the residential construction industry. In 1986 Joe and Pat bought a historic house in downtown Tarpon Springs Florida that would eventually become the Oxford House Tea Room, a successful self owned business they ran together for 12 years. They sold the business in 1999 and officially retired. Then they spent some time traveling and enjoying time with their grandchildren. In 2003 they moved to Noblesville Indiana where they lived for three years before making their way back to Florida. Joe enjoyed the simple pleasures in life, spending time with his family, enjoying his kids basketball games - both watching and coaching - which he never missed a single game. In his fifties he developed a love of running and competed in numerous 5k races. He also loved to watch sports like soccer and tennis on tv, and never missed a James Bond movie when it were on. He was loved and will be missed by his friends and family.