John Edward Connors

Our dear father John Edward Connors passed away on May 19, 2019.

He was born in Boston, MA on July 30, 1922 to Frank J. Connors and Mary Ann (McKenna) both recent immigrants from Ireland. John was the youngest of their three sons: Francis and Joseph.

Upon our entry into WWII John enlisted in the Coast Guard, was selected for officers training, ultimately transferred to the Navy and upon earning a BE degree in electrical engineering from Yale ‘46, was commissioned and served on the light cruiser Cleveland.

After the war, John joined the New England Telephone Co as a licensed Professional Engineer. He later earned his LLB from Boston College and his LLM from Northeastern. He transferred to Western Electric and ultimately to AT&T in NYC where he led the Intellectual Property division.

He married Mary Flaherty in 1951 and together they had six children: Cathryn Palmieri (Victor) of Pacific Palisades, CA; Barbara Holdgate (Andy) of Ft Collins, CO; Kevin (Lisa) of Bronxville, NY; Jack (Kay) of Baltimore, MD and Margaret Williamson (James) of Parker, CO. Additionally, John had 12 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. His dear wife Mary died in 1984 and their oldest son, Stephen died in 1989. He was also predeceased by his brothers Francis and Joseph.

John spent his retirement volunteering with Arbitration Association of America, the arbitration panel of the NY Supreme Court, as an AARP tax aid and a tax advisor to small businesses. He lived his final 15 years at Kendal-on-Hudson in the company of his great friend and companion Mary Jane Noonan (d. 2017)

Most important, he was a loving husband, a concerned and devoted father, a dedicated Roman Catholic and a fantastic friend. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Mass of Christian Burial Thursday May 23 at 10 AM; Church of the Magdalene 525 Bedford Rd. Sleepy Hollow, NY. Interment with Military Honors to follow at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Hawthorne, NY.

In lieu of flowers please give to your favorite charity with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face.

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