Hugh Wiseman O'Connor

Hugh Wiseman O’Connor, of Duxbury, formerly of Scituate,  passed away peacefully at the age of 88 on May 10th in Norwell surrounded by his family. Beloved husband of Julianne (Cookson) O’Connor and loving father of six children: Maeve O’Connor and husband Steven Solnick of New York City, Irene Valente of Denver, CO, Maura Burke and husband Joseph of Westboro, MA, Hugh O’Connor and wife Beth of Kingston, MA, Julianne McLaughlin and husband Michael of Hanover, MA, and Edmund O’Connor and wife Suzanne of Marshfield, MA. He was the devoted grandfather of 16; Elinor, Naomi and Reuben Solnick; Dominic and Eleza Valente; Siobhan, Julia, Aidan and Hugh Burke; Jenny and Ava O’Connor, Ceara, William and Jack McLaughlin; Colin and Emma O’Connor. He was the son of the late Eugene O’Connor and Nora (Wiseman) O’Connor. He was brother to the late Owen O’Connor, Clare Stephens and Maeve O’Connor and is survived by his brothers Cormac, Robert, Brian, Rory and sister Emer and many loving nieces and nephews.

A forty-year resident of Scituate, MA, Hugh was born in Co. Cork Ireland and grew up in Dublin, Ireland. He attended Black Rock College and was a graduate of University College Dublin. He emigrated to the US in the late 1950s after being recruited by George Washington University in St Louis, MO as an instructor in mathematics and engineering. He returned to university himself, earning a Master’s degree from Cornell University and a PhD from Carnegie Mellon University both in Mechanical Engineering. His research on steel production processes was award-winning and he also received numerous patents during his engineering career. His career started with GE in Birmingham, England. After leaving GWU he worked for Walworth in MA when he met and married Julianne in 1962. After a brief stint with Walworth in San Francisco, CA they moved to Pittsburgh, PA where he worked for Jones and Laughlin Steel and pursued his PhD. In 1973 the family returned to Massachusetts where Hugh began what would be a 20-year career with Boston Edison.

Hugh was a man of many talents and interests. As a young man he played the violin in amateur string quartets; he could build or fix seemingly anything from hand grinding lenses for his backyard telescope to building a ten-speed bicycle from spare parts. An erudite and ardent reader he could provide the perfect quote for any occasion in English, Latin or Gaelic. Dedicated to his family he was happiest in the hubbub of a large gathering and took great pride in the accomplishments of his children and grandchildren.

Family and friends are invited to celebrate Hugh on Tuesday, May 15th from 4-8 pm at McNamara-Sparrell Funeral Home, 160 So. Main St. (across from St. Anthony Church), Cohasset. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday May 16th 10 am at St. Anthony Parish, Cohasset. In lieu of flowers please make donations to the Alzheimer’s Association and Old Colony Hospice and Palliative Care of West Bridgewater. 

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