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May 6, 2013
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Monday, May 13, 2013 from 2-4 & 7-9 PM.
Funeral Services will be held on Tuesday, May 14, 2013 at 9:30 AM from the funeral home, then to Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 580 Ratzer Road, Wayne where at 10:30 AM a Funeral Mass will be offered. Interment will follow at Christ the King Cemetery, Franklin Lakes.
James W. O’Connor, age 73 of Fort Lauderdale, FL and formerly of Wayne, passed away on Monday, May 6, 2013.
Born on December 8, 1939 in Brooklyn, New York, James was the youngest son to parents, James and Rose (Cummings), and the brother to his two older, adoring sisters, Mary (Nihill), who predeceased Jim in 2005, and Dorothy O’Connor of Wayne, NJ.
Jim grew up in Brooklyn and was dedicated to his Catholic upbringing, having attended Catholic schools for his entire education, as well as being an altar boy. He is remembered for being an extraordinary diver when he attended St. Francis Preparatory High School.
In 1958, as a young man, Jim met the love of his life, Mary (Slacke), actually by coincidence. Those who had the honor of knowing Jim were always amazed by how nice, kind and generous of a person he was; even as a young man – helping his friends navigate through the neighborhood was the best decision he ever made… it lead to his meeting of Mary. Jim’s friends were invited to a party being given by Mary’s younger sister, Nancy. His friends in Park Slope, Brooklyn did not know how to get to the address, 1453 East 10th Street; so, without hesitation, Jim, who was not invited to the party, offered to help his friends. “I know how to get there, I’ll take you.” Once they arrived, his friends urged him to stay and come inside, but Jim did not offer to help in hopes of attending; he was merely being Jim, helping whenever he could. However, after much insistence, his friends finally convinced Jim to join them… and that is how the story begins.
It was love at first sight. Jim and Mary married and quickly started a family and were blessed with five children, Maureen (Cretella), Colleen (Youngman), James, Patricia (Szlembarski), and Irene (Yalicki). Jim, who had the calculated mind of an engineer, reluctantly had to drop out of college to support his growing family. As a young father, while maintaining two jobs, he attempted college at night, but Jim – the altruistic man he was – put his family first and was unable to complete college.
In 1960, a dear family friend suggested he take a test for an apprenticeship with the Local 28 union, which is made up of sheet metal workers. Jim was not even sure what a “tinknocker” was, but regardless, he took the test, and became an apprentice. The Sheet Metal Industry has forever changed since Jim O’Connor became an apprentice that day… and so, another story begins.
In 1974, Jim and Mary moved their family from Brooklyn, NY to Packanack Lake in Wayne, NJ (or the “boondocks” as the O’Connor teenagers initially referred to the suburbs of NJ) and made a beautiful home with fond memories at 8 Hillcrest Drive.
Packanack Lake gave Jim lifelong friends, from the The Packanack Golf Club, the bowling league, the block parties, and of course the St. Patrick’s Day dance at Immaculate Heart of Mary, their home parish.
In 1977, Jim was approached by a co-worker, Joe Gany, who encouraged him that they should start a sheet metal business of their own. As partners, Jim and Joe founded Center Sheet Metal, Inc., located in the Bronx, NY. Together, they started a small sheet metal company in a garage and grew it into one of the finest and most successful sheet metal shops in New York. What started as a 3500 square foot garage now operates in a 50,000 square foot facility. Jimmy was fortunate in that he retired in 1998…alas, another story begins.
Retirement brought Jim and Mary to Fort Lauderdale. For the first time they were living in a high rise apartment building and they were truly blessed to find a family of friends at Vantage View and of course Shooters! In a way, Fort Lauderdale became Packanack South.
Jim’s legacy lives on … in the robust company he created 36 years ago …. in the hearts and minds of the friends he’s met along the way…. and most of all, in the large, loving family he created with his wife, Mary --- his five children, his eight grandchildren, John, Annie, James, Amanda, Amy, Kelly, Joey, and Jimmy; and his three great-grandchildren, Robert, Connor, and John, his terrific sons in law, Joe Cretella and Steve Yalicki, and Bob Szlembarski, who sadly predeceased Jim in 2001; his sister-in-law Nancy Bianchi and her husband Ron, and brother-in-law James Slacke and his wife Treeva, his nieces and nephews, and of course his friends. Jim was a man who left his mark on this world simply because you got to meet him, when you became a friend to Jim; you were blessed to have a lifelong friend.
Jim lost his beloved and devoted wife on February 17, 2010, after 51 years of marriage, and they have been reunited on May 6, 2013.
And so, the story continues, as Jim and Mary dance together in heaven.
In honor of Jim’s generous spirit, his family asks that, in lieu of flowers, you consider donating to Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, Gift Processing Center, 18251 Quantico Gateway Drive, Triangle, VA 22172 or at www.toysfortots.org.
If you would like to send a private condolence directly to the family use this condolence section.
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Monday, May 13, 2013 from 2-4 & 7-9 PM.
Funeral Services will be held on Tuesday, May 14, 2013 at 9:30 AM from the funeral home, then to Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 580 Ratzer Road, Wayne where at 10:30 AM a Funeral Mass will be offered. Interment will follow at Christ the King Cemetery, Franklin Lakes.
May 6, 2013
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Monday, May 13, 2013 from 2-4 & 7-9 PM.
Funeral Services will be held on Tuesday, May 14, 2013 at 9:30 AM from the funeral home, then to Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 580 Ratzer Road, Wayne where at 10:30 AM a Funeral Mass will be offered. Interment will follow at Christ the King Cemetery, Franklin Lakes.
James W. O’Connor, age 73 of Fort Lauderdale, FL and formerly of Wayne, passed away on Monday, May 6, 2013.
Born on December 8, 1939 in Brooklyn, New York, James was the youngest son to parents, James and Rose (Cummings), and the brother to his two older, adoring sisters, Mary (Nihill), who predeceased Jim in 2005, and Dorothy O’Connor of Wayne, NJ.
Jim grew up in Brooklyn and was dedicated to his Catholic upbringing, having attended Catholic schools for his entire education, as well as being an altar boy. He is remembered for being an extraordinary diver when he attended St. Francis Preparatory High School.
In 1958, as a young man, Jim met the love of his life, Mary (Slacke), actually by coincidence. Those who had the honor of knowing Jim were always amazed by how nice, kind and generous of a person he was; even as a young man – helping his friends navigate through the neighborhood was the best decision he ever made… it lead to his meeting of Mary. Jim’s friends were invited to a party being given by Mary’s younger sister, Nancy. His friends in Park Slope, Brooklyn did not know how to get to the address, 1453 East 10th Street; so, without hesitation, Jim, who was not invited to the party, offered to help his friends. “I know how to get there, I’ll take you.” Once they arrived, his friends urged him to stay and come inside, but Jim did not offer to help in hopes of attending; he was merely being Jim, helping whenever he could. However, after much insistence, his friends finally convinced Jim to join them… and that is how the story begins.
It was love at first sight. Jim and Mary married and quickly started a family and were blessed with five children, Maureen (Cretella), Colleen (Youngman), James, Patricia (Szlembarski), and Irene (Yalicki). Jim, who had the calculated mind of an engineer, reluctantly had to drop out of college to support his growing family. As a young father, while maintaining two jobs, he attempted college at night, but Jim – the altruistic man he was – put his family first and was unable to complete college.
In 1960, a dear family friend suggested he take a test for an apprenticeship with the Local 28 union, which is made up of sheet metal workers. Jim was not even sure what a “tinknocker” was, but regardless, he took the test, and became an apprentice. The Sheet Metal Industry has forever changed since Jim O’Connor became an apprentice that day… and so, another story begins.
In 1974, Jim and Mary moved their family from Brooklyn, NY to Packanack Lake in Wayne, NJ (or the “boondocks” as the O’Connor teenagers initially referred to the suburbs of NJ) and made a beautiful home with fond memories at 8 Hillcrest Drive.
Packanack Lake gave Jim lifelong friends, from the The Packanack Golf Club, the bowling league, the block parties, and of course the St. Patrick’s Day dance at Immaculate Heart of Mary, their home parish.
In 1977, Jim was approached by a co-worker, Joe Gany, who encouraged him that they should start a sheet metal business of their own. As partners, Jim and Joe founded Center Sheet Metal, Inc., located in the Bronx, NY. Together, they started a small sheet metal company in a garage and grew it into one of the finest and most successful sheet metal shops in New York. What started as a 3500 square foot garage now operates in a 50,000 square foot facility. Jimmy was fortunate in that he retired in 1998…alas, another story begins.
Retirement brought Jim and Mary to Fort Lauderdale. For the first time they were living in a high rise apartment building and they were truly blessed to find a family of friends at Vantage View and of course Shooters! In a way, Fort Lauderdale became Packanack South.
Jim’s legacy lives on … in the robust company he created 36 years ago …. in the hearts and minds of the friends he’s met along the way…. and most of all, in the large, loving family he created with his wife, Mary --- his five children, his eight grandchildren, John, Annie, James, Amanda, Amy, Kelly, Joey, and Jimmy; and his three great-grandchildren, Robert, Connor, and John, his terrific sons in law, Joe Cretella and Steve Yalicki, and Bob Szlembarski, who sadly predeceased Jim in 2001; his sister-in-law Nancy Bianchi and her husband Ron, and brother-in-law James Slacke and his wife Treeva, his nieces and nephews, and of course his friends. Jim was a man who left his mark on this world simply because you got to meet him, when you became a friend to Jim; you were blessed to have a lifelong friend.
Jim lost his beloved and devoted wife on February 17, 2010, after 51 years of marriage, and they have been reunited on May 6, 2013.
And so, the story continues, as Jim and Mary dance together in heaven.
In honor of Jim’s generous spirit, his family asks that, in lieu of flowers, you consider donating to Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, Gift Processing Center, 18251 Quantico Gateway Drive, Triangle, VA 22172 or at www.toysfortots.org.
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