Raymond O’Connor

Raymond O’Connor was born on April 2, 1937, in Belfast, Northern Ireland.  The sixth child of seven children of Peter and Kathleen O’Connor. Raymond was predeceased by his parents and by his siblings Peg, John, Peter, Jimmy, Paul, and Pat.  He is survived by his wife, Roisin, his daughter Deirdre Quinn, her husband Patrick, and his daughter Nuala O’Connor and her husband Peter Bass.  He is also survived by his wonderful grandchildren Malachy, Oona, Maeve, Rory, and Eoin Quinn, and Nora, Maggie, and Ian Kelly.  Raymond attended Holy Cross Grammar School and St. Malachy’s College.  He loved music and enjoyed playing the piano.  Raymond played Gaelic football for St. Malachy’s and played rugby for the YMCA and was the only Catholic on the team.  He joined because of his friend Alfie Williamson, with whom he worked as a certified accountant at Lawther Bass Accountants in Belfast. He met the love of his life, Roisin, at a dance at Fruit Hill Tennis Club in Belfast in 1960.  They were engaged in 1963, and married in April of 1964, and recently celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary.  They decided to come to the United States to pursue more plentiful business and life opportunities.  Raymond became an American citizen but never forgot his Irish roots.  Raymond’s first job in the United States was for Bankers Trust Company in New York City.  He has fond memories of his time there and of the Irish American community with whom he lived in the Bronx.  After the Bronx, Raymond and Roisin moved to Queens, where Raymond was an accountant for Ozone Industries and, while raising two young daughters, obtained his MBA from St. John’s University. Raymond became a Controllerfor Technitrol Industries and moved his family first to Williston Park, Long Island, and ultimately to Garden City, where he and Roisin resided for many years.  Raymond retired from Technitrol and worked as a consultant for several years before moving with Roisin to New Jersey, to be closer to his grandchildren.  Raymond loved all kinds of music but especially classical and Irish music.  He loved attending concerts at the New York Philharmonic and just as much attending the concerts of his grandchildren.  He was an avid collector of violins and had a special expertise in the violins of Irish makers.  Raymond had a fine repertoire of jokes and an incredible memory. He was a life-long learner, learning Italian in his later years, and loved to travel, especially to Italy. He will be greatly missed by his loving family.  

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