Obituary of R. Kevin O'Connor

R. Kevin O'Connor, 59, of South Orange, NJ, died peacefully at his home last week after many years of suffering from COPD. Friends and family are invited to attend the funeral mass at Our Lady Of Sorrows Church, 217 Prospect Street, South Orange, NJ. On Sat, May 19th at 9:30 AM. Interment will follow at Immaculate Conception Cemetery, Montclair, NJ. For more information, or to send condolences please visit: prestonfuneralhome.net Kevin was born in Passaic, NJ on April 12, 1953, and grew up in Montclair, New Monmouth, Nutley, East Orange, Orange, and South Orange. He attended the Gstaad International School in Switzerland before coming home to graduate from Columbia High School in 1971, after which he attended Rutgers University. At the time of his death, Kevin was successfully managing his struggle with mental illness, the onset of which occurred during his late adolescence. In recent years, Kevin worked at several stores in South Orange, such as the Village Smoke Shop, lending a helping hand and good cheer wherever he was. Kevin's wit, intelligence, and infectious zeal for life were cherished by friends and family. He loved South Orange, where he was well-known and frequently greeted friends and neighbors with his unmistakable booming voice, interesting insights into the day's news, and his stories. Kevin loved classic rock music and treasured his Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, and Rolling Stones albums. He was fluent in French, which he learned while in school in Europe, and enjoyed reading French periodicals like Paris Match. Kevin learned Spanish while living in Spain and could also converse in Romansh and German. It was in Europe that he became an excellent skier. Kevin is survived by his loving mother Joan Aires O'Connor, his devoted siblings: Julie O'Connor and her husband Dan Burstein; Cynthia O'Connor and her husband Rick Porter; Maureen O'Connor and her partner Alex Miljkovic; Terry O'Connor and his wife Michele; and Betsy DeTurk and her husband Ken. Kevin will be missed by a large community of relatives including his nieces and nephews: Sydney, Lauren, and Kiel DeTurk; David Burstein; Tara, Samantha, Dylan, Devon, and Morgan O'Connor; and Carrick and Cate Porter; his aunts and uncles: Alice and Bud Aires; Judy Farquhar; Cathy and Ollan Cassell; Barbara Aires, SC; Jean Aires; Dotsy and Tom Fitts; and Eileen Sullivan; and his cousins, including: Tim and Mary Aires; Lee Anne Aires; and Susan Black and Tommy Owens. To make a donation in Kevin's memory, please consider one of these organizations: National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 3803 N. Fairfax Dr., Ste. 100 Arlington, VA 22203 or online: http://bit.ly/JJdR3w or Tobacco Dependence Treatment Program through Saint Barnabas Behavioral Health Network Institute for Prevention, "Barnabas Health Foundation", 95 Old Short Hills Road, West Orange, New Jersey 07052 or online: https://payments.auctionpay.com/ver3/?id=w019582