Obituary of Mary Patricia O'Connor

Mary Patricia O’Connor passed away peacefully on Sunday June 13, 2021, surrounded by her husband of 57 years, her six children and other loving family members. She was 79 years old and had been a resident of Osprey, Florida for the past 11 years. Mary was born in 1941 to Patrick and Una Harkins.  She attended Fontbonne Academy in Milton, MA and then Emmanuel College in Boston where she graduated with a BA in Education.  She met her husband, Hugh, in 1961 and married in 1963.  They raised six children, and have eleven grandchildren and one great grandchild.  Mary valued her role as a Mom first and foremost and loved her family more than anything.  She was so proud of her children’s accomplishments and was always there with a smile, a hug, words of encouragement or a shoulder to cry on.  

She had a quiet and strong presence and was welcoming and warm to everyone she encountered.  Following the end of her teaching career, Mary was an avid volunteer who was active in her children's schools, serving on many PTO’s.  She contributed generously to every organization her children and grandchildren supported through the years and had been involved with the American Red Cross since moving to Florida.  

Mary was an avid Ruzzle player and sadly left many games unfinished.  She was a regular participant in Willowbend water aerobics and will miss her water ladies.

Mary is survived by her beloved husband Hugh, six children Kerry Wright (Rick), Patty Horn (Tom), Suzy Martin (Tim), Michael O’Connor (Jennifer), John O’Connor (Julie), and Amy Emanuel (John), her grandchildren Brian, Kate, Connor, Nick, Sarah, Gracie, CJ, Bella, Charlotte, Matthew and Thomas as well as her great grandson Jackson.  She is also survived by her sister Ann Neville (Joseph) and nephew and nieces Jerry Neville, Eileen Marceau and Jane Cappelli.  

A funeral mass will be held at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Osprey on July 13th at 10:00am followed by the interment in the Sarasota National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please donate to a charity that is near and dear to your heart, as Mary enjoyed supporting many different organizations and charities.