Obituaries 2-20
William "Bill" Joseph O'Connor
William "Bill" Joseph O'Connor passed away on Feb. 16 after a long and courageous battle with Parkinson's Disease and Type I Diabetes.
He was born on June 14, 1939 in Philadelphia, Penn., and fell in love with the Emerald Coast while serving at Eglin Air Force Base. After his service in the Air Force, Bill opened the first insurance agency in Destin, Fla., in 1975. An active member of Destin's business and civic community, Bill held many board positions, but focused most of his time in the Destin Rotary Club. In addition to being a founding charter member of the organization and past president, he established the Destin Rotary Club Scholarship Fund, which has supported college-bound Destin residents for decades.
Bill was an avid fisherman and boating enthusiast who never missed an opportunity to be on his beloved boat, the Okey Doke. All who knew Bill were aware of his great love for animals, especially the abandoned. His last 10 years were spent on his horse farm in DeFuniak Springs, Fla., also appropriately named The Okey Doke.
His father, William J. O'Connor, his mother Joyce Farr O'Connor, and his first wife, Mary Lou Hall O'Connor, predeceased him.
He is survived by his wife, Page Russell O'Connor of Niceville, Fla., and his children Kelly O'Connor of Denver, Colo., William J. "Billy" O'Connor, Jr. of Quepos, Costa Rica, and James Benham "Ben" O'Connor of Destin.
A memorial gathering will be held from 1-4 p.m. Feb. 25 at the Palms of Destin Resort, 4201 Indian Bayou Trail.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Destin Rotary Scholarship Foundation, Rotary Club of Destin, P.O. Box 951, Destin, FL 32540, or Alaqua Animal Refuge, 914 Whitfield Rd., Freeport, FL 32439.
