Eleanor Johanna O'Connor

Eleanor Johanna Miller O'Connor passed peacefully on November 9, 2012. She is survived by her devoted husband of 60 years, Frank O'Connor; her five children and their spouses: Chris and Phyllis O'Connor, Mary Ellen and Mike Van Horn, Patrick and Rebecca O'Connor, Tom and Karen O'Connor and Mary Beth and David Baker; her 15 grandchildren: Phyllis and her husband Hill, Michael, and Jessica O'Connor, Caroline, Tommy and his wife Emily, Michelle and her husband Brian, and Bobby Van Horn, Will, Jonathon, and Katherine O'Connor, Reilly, Birgitt, and Megan O'Connor and Liam and Alanna Baker; her great grandchildren: Therese Jones and Chiara Van Horn; her brother, Vincent Miller and sister-in-law, Grace Miller and an abundance of nieces and nephews. She has joined her son, Bill who passed away in 1976. Eleanor was born in Jackson Heights, New York on October 17, 1926. She graduated from Saint Joseph's College in Brooklyn New York in 1948, married Frank on April 19, 1952 and moved to Atlanta with Frank in 1963. She was a devout Catholic and a member of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish for 49 years. She devoted her entire life to her husband, her family and helping those less fortunate. Eleanor's commitment to helping the poor began in 1967 when Msgr. Michael J. Regan started a Saint Vincent de Paul Society parish conference at IHM. She was the only female Vincentian for many years. Anything she could do to aid others in rebuilding their lives was within her range of help. She worked to provide the homeless with food, shelter and clothing, and assisted in resettlement programs for the Vietnamese refugees. Eleanor's vibrant personality contributed greatly to her ability to enlist the help of her family, other parishioners and friends in her many charitable efforts.Eleanor was a member of the Atlanta Council of Catholic Women and began the tradition of hosting seasonal Have-a-Heart parties for patients at Central State Hospital in Milledgeville in the late 1960's. In 1987 Eleanor was recognized for her dedication to the poor as the recipient of the Rosa Parks Award. This award is given annually by Women in Community Service (WICS), a coalition of women's groups that work to improve the quality of life for women struggling in poverty. Eleanor was nominated for the award by the Atlanta Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women because "She saw the importance of helping the poor even before it was popular…" Eleanor was the recipient of the Saint Vincent de Paul award in 1984 and 1992 and also the Saint Marguerite d'Youville award in 1993. Eleanor will be dearly missed by her family and friends and will be fondly remembered as a loving, caring wife, mother, and friend dedicated to her family, and the Christian principle of charity towards others. Rosary Services will be held at 10:30am followed by a funeral mass at 11am on Friday November 16, 2012 at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church. A reception in Eleanor's honor will be held in the parish hall immediately following the reception. In lieu of flowers please send your donations to the Saint Vincent DePaul Society in c/o IHM Church, 2855 Briarcliff Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30329. A.S. Turner and Sons Funeral Home and Crematory, Decatur.





Funeral Home:
A.S. Turner
2773 N. Decatur Road
Decatur, GA
30033