John Joseph O'Connor Jr

John Joseph OConnor, Jr. Newport, RI - John Joseph OConnor, Jr., 81, of 33 Bedlow Avenue, Newport, RI, died on Friday, August 29, 2008, at Newport Hospital. Born April 22, 1928, in Holyoke, MA, the son of John J. OConnor and Margaret Kane Lalli, he was the husband of the late Louise Donahue OConnor and brother of the late Carole OConnor. He is survived by two sons, Kevin J. and Christopher G. OConnor, both of Newport, his grandchildren, Michael Cawley, Christopher Dill, Jared OConnor, Morgan OConnor, Madison OConnor, Nathan OConnor and Alessandra OConnor, and his great grandson Timothy Cawley. Mr. OConnor graduated from St. Michaels High School in North Hampton, MA, in 1945. He received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Chemistry from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA, in 1949-1950. In 1951 he began work as a chemist at the, then, NUOS. He retired in 1984 from NUSC as Head of the Materials and Chemistry Branch. He subsequently worked as a Materials Engineer for OTI from 1983-1985 and Vitco Services from 1985-1991. Mr. OConnor was a former member of the North End Club and Middletown K of C. He was a member of several local bowling leagues. Calling hours will be held on Wednesday, September 3, 2008 from 2-4pm and 6-8pm at the Memorial Funeral Home, 375 Broadway, Newport. His funeral will be held on Thursday, September 4, 2008, at 9:00am, from the Memorial Funeral Home, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00am, in St. Josephs Church, Broadway and Mann Avenue, Newport. Burial will be in St. Columbas Cemetery in Middletown. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the Rhode Island Kidney Foundation, 125 Carlsbad Street, Cranston, RI 02920 or to the St. Josephs Building Fund, Mann Avenue, Newport, RI 02840.