Obituary of Charles A. O'Connor

Charles A. O'Connor Bainbridge, NY Charles Arthur O'Connor, age 88, died at home on Friday, September 26, 2014, of metastatic melanoma. Born April, 1926 in Binghamton, New York to Martha and V. George O'Connor, he attended Oneonta Public Schools, graduating in 1943. Charles was a naval aviation cadet during World War II and attended Millsap College in Mississippi and then Naval Flight School in Chapel Hill. He attended St. Lawrence University on the GI Bill and graduated in 1949 with a degree in physics. On February 20, 1949, he married Shirley Brown in Norwich. He was proud that they were able to celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary this year. In 1952, they moved to Bainbridge and bought a farm house, working over the next 62 years to renovate each room and add beautiful grounds and flowers. He worked for over 35 years at Scintilla (now Amphenol) as a test engineer, where he conducted vibration tests on ignition systems and later managed the calibration group. For a number of years, he was the president of the NY State Chapter of the Institute of Environmental Engineers. He was initially a volunteer in the Sidney Fire Department and then in the Bainbridge Fire Department for over 35 years. He helped start the Bainbridge First Aid Squad, and the first ambulance was a Packard hearse with purple velour upholstery. He helped extinguish the fire related to the 1966 train wreck in downtown Bainbridge, and had an article about the successful firefighting effort published in Firemen Magazine. The article was distributed at the annual convention for the National Fire Chief's Association that year. In his later years, he was an instructor for New York State Academy of Fire Science in Montour Falls, and as he put it, "made a couple thousand friends." Charles was an avid outdoorsman his entire life. He was a member of the Dave Brandt Chapter of Trout Unlimited and was a skillful fly fisherman. He loved fishing for trout in the West Branch of the Delaware and for salmon in the Esopus. He enjoyed hunting and amazed everyone by getting a deer this past fall. He has generously shared his skills in hunting and fishing and mentored many family members and friends. He was especially happy that some of his great grandchildren have caught the fishing bug. His family and friends were amazed at his energy and work ethic, and will miss his stories, his great sense of humor, his generosity and his wide ranging interests and intellect. He is survived by his wife, Shirley (Brown) O'Connor; his beloved sister Mary Smith of Maryland, four children and their families: Kathy and Henry Sefcovic of Michigan, Karen Pitcher and Garry Mallison of Binghamton, Susan O'Connor of Massachusetts; Janice and Chris Blincoe of Port Crane; 8 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren: Natasha Sefcovic-Tuma and Daniel Tuma, Nadia Sefcovic Chopra and Lalit Chopra and their son, Jaitan; Martha and Gabriel Clune and their children Zoe and Brennan; Michael Pitcher and his daughter Releena; Tyler O'Connor Hauck, Kara O'Connor Hauck; Kelly and Matt Schrader, and Samantha Blincoe. A celebration of his life will be held at 11 am on Tuesday, September 30, at Cream of the Crop Café, Bainbridge, NY. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Melanoma Research Alliance, or a charity of your choice. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.landersfh.com. Arrangements are with C. H. Landers Funeral Home in Sidney, New York.