David J. O'Connor

Early life and education O'Connor was born on November 9, 1924, in Boston. His father, David I. O'Connor, was a funeral director in Roxbury. He attended Mission High School, the Boston School of Business Administration, and Staley College. After becoming a state representative he attended the Boston School of Anatomy and Embalming and University of Massachusetts Boston.

Political career O'Connor first became involved in politics as a community activist in Roxbury. From 1951 to 1970 he was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. During his tenure as a state representative, O'Connor's interests included finance, consumer protection, housing, and supporting the policies of Democratic governors Paul A. Dever, Foster Furcolo, and Endicott Peabody.

In 1956, O'Connor helped obtain the release of a Dorchester mother of four who was arrested by Boston Police at 4:30 am for parking violations. After the incident, O'Connor helped pass a bill that would make it a crime for police to serve parking warrants between 10 pm and 7 am.

In 1958, O'Connor supported John F. Thompson, a friend and fellow World War II veteran, in his quest to become Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. O'Connor supported Thompson in spite of opposition from many powerful Democrats including John F. Kennedy, Ted Kennedy, and Endicott Peabody.

On February 4, 1970, O'Connor was convicted of willful failure to file Federal income tax returns. According to prosecutors, O'Connor did not file income tax returns for the years 1962 and 1963, during which time he had a total income of $44,000. He was sentenced to five months in jail and fined $10,000.

Later life and death After his retirement, O'Connor resided at his former summer home in Hull, Massachusetts and at the home of his longtime partner in Nokomis, Florida. He died on May 5, 2011, in Sarasota, Florida at the age of 86.