Joseph Herbert O'Connor, Jr.

Joe left his body and this lifetime peacefully on November 27, 2024, in his home. His sister, Lindy, was with him.

Joseph Herbert O’Connor Jr., born in Detroit, Michigan, on July 11, 1950., was the first of two children of Joseph Herbert O’Connor and Kathryn Lindsey (nee Holman) O’Connor.  The family moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida  soon after he was born, living on the Intercoastal waterway. Fort Lauderdale was Joe’s childhood  adventure wonderland, a place he always loved. In 1960, the family moved to Alexandria, Virginia, where Joe has lived since, with a brief tenure living in Washington DC. In the last forty years, he lived in the community of Belle View Condominiums,  a neighborhood where everything was within a short walk, his preferred mode of transportation, and it became his village where neighbors and employees became friends.

Joe’s parents predeceased him, his father, Joseph and mother, Kathryn (Peggy). He was also predeceased by a long line of cats, dearly loved by Joe. He is survived by his only sibling and sister, Kathryn (Lindy) O’Connor, his niece and nephew, Kerry Barlow Knox  (Brandon) and Michael Barlow, and his grand nieces, Siena and Miley Knox.

Joe loved all things nature (with the exception of squirrels) and was particularly drawn to Dyke Marsh National Park, in close proximity to his home, and vibrant with abundant and diverse plant and wildlife. He worked as a National Park Volunteer for nearly 40 years, picking up trash in the park, along the bike path and out in the marsh. He wanted people who visited the park to see it for its beauty, without the distraction of garbage, and hoped his example would encourage others to help maintain the parks’ beauty.

When digital cameras were first available in the late 1990’s, Joe started capturing digital images and cataloguing the plants, flowers, fungi, butterflies, bugs and berries in Dyke Marsh.  He followed the annual renewal of life each Spring in his more than 30,000 photographs taken over several years. Ultimately he planned a project combining his passion for nature in the park and his lifelong belief in the power of the internet and computing to make knowledge broadly available to people. He created a website where he meticulously catalogued his images, intent on sharing his love of the magic of nature in the park.

Joe was blessed with a few exceptional friends, several he had known from work as long as 30 years ago. He embodied kindness, compassion and a desire to help people in any way possible.  People knew Joe for his wonderful way of caring to ask, listening to their stories and remembering them. He touched people’s lives making each feel special, and will not be easily forgotten.

A few of Joe’s hobbies included pickling vegetables to a precise salt ratio, growing sprouts, making peanut butter, astronomy (since the age of 3 stargazing in Florida with his mother), “classic” guitar music and soloists of years past, near death experiences (NDE’s), and “contact” with unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP). He loved hearing about his niece and nephew and grand nieces and followed their activities with keen interest. With an exceptionally brilliant mind, Joe devoured information, spending hours daily reading news and discoveries about the earth, space, developments in AI, and human evolution through events that will define our civilization.

This is dedicated to Joe’s friends who walked with him in spirit through his last days: Allie, Devina and David, Jeanne, Gary and Anne-Marie, Barry, Cindy, Mario and Dennis, JT and Ginger. You will be missed Space Brother Joe.

There will be no service at Joe’s request. In lieu of donations or flowers, please consider planting a tree.

The following are tributes from Joe’s close work friends:

From His OFDA Friends

Joe O’Connor was a pioneer in every sense of the word, a man who embraced challenges and transformed them into opportunities. In the early days of computing, when technology was an enigma to many of us, Joe stood as a beacon of understanding and innovation. His innate grasp of complex systems and his ability to bridge the gap between emerging technologies and practical solutions made him an invaluable figure in his field.

Joe’s brilliance was rooted in a Cartesian approach to life and problem-solving. His understanding of dualism, balancing the theoretical with the practical—shaped his career and inspired those fortunate enough to learn from him. His vision extended far beyond the boundaries of technology; Joe saw the potential of artificial intelligence long before it became a global conversation.

But Joe’s contributions were not limited to his technical expertise. He was a natural mentor, tirelessly guiding young professionals and instilling in them a passion for computer science. His wisdom, patience, and enthusiasm left an indelible mark on countless lives. Joe’s belief in the transformative power of technology was unwavering, and he championed its role in alleviating human suffering.

Beyond his technical prowess, Joe was deeply engaged with the world around him. A proud American, he marveled at his country’s achievements and often spent hours contemplating the interplay between technology and society. His intellect was matched by his discipline; he worked tirelessly, often late into the night, to solve problems that seemed insurmountable to others.

Joe was at the forefront of what we now call office automation, keenly observing and contributing to its daily advancements. His relentless curiosity and drive were a testament to his love for learning and innovation.

Although Joe left us too soon, his legacy lives on in the countless lives he touched and the advancements he championed. His memories and approach to life remain a guiding light for all who knew him. Joe O’Connor’s vision, discipline, and humanity will never be forgotten.

Rest in peace, Joe. Your impact will resonate forever.

~ Mario Camilien

I knew Joe for 36 years.  When I came to work at the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) in USAID, Joe was at the forefront of bringing office automation to OFDA.  He very carefully helped our office develop and use a wide variety of office automation products.  He was particularly adept at keeping OFDA’ s systems insulated from some of the issues that the rest of USAID was facing.  He approached his work with intelligence and artistry.  He enjoyed working with people and had an excellent sense of humor.

I maintained my relationship with Joe even though we both left OFDA.  Joe was a very curious individual who had a wide range of interests.  He was particularly involved with the Dyke Marsh near his home in Alexandria.  He built a website with hundreds of flowers from the Dyke Marsh.  I owe my interest in digital photography to Joe since he let me borrow his digital camera on a cruise to Alaska.  After the trip and seeing the photographs I took, I became hooked on digital photography.

Joe and I spoke to each other on a regular basis, usually at least once a week.  While Joe lived a very solitary life, I was particularly touched by his interest in my photography, travels and my family.  He always asked about my sons, their spouses and my grandchildren.  I consulted him often about computer issues and even acquired two pieces of his equipment (a desk top computer and a printer) that I still use today.  I would share photos I took with Joe and he always enjoyed seeing them and commenting on them.

When we moved to New Jersey recently, Joe, as always, enjoyed the photos I sent him of the various artistic touches to the house.  I was particularly touched to receive a call from him at the end of his life in which he told me how much he enjoyed being my friend.  After his passing, I did something else in my house that I realized I could not share with him.  I and all who knew will sorely miss him.

~ Barry Heyman

I first met Joe in 1984 when I was hired as an Information Specialist for the in-house contractor at OFDA, and Joe was already a member of the staff. Joe had an unusual job and worked unusual hours, especially for that time. He was the computer expert not only for our particular office, but for all of OFDA. In fact, other USAID bureaus were jealous that we had a computer expert on staff. Computers were a new thing in those days, but already assuming importance, and Joe’s knowledge of them and how to make them work was looked upon with great awe. Joe had his own schedule, coming in a couple of times a week — always in the afternoon — and when he was called in (“Help! The computer’s not working! Can you fix it?”).

Besides his computer skills, Joe was prized for his intelligent and fun conversation. Although he was not a Nine-to-Fiver, he knew everyone in the office and all that was going on, both in the disaster work (some of the big ones in those days were the Mexico Earthquake and Africa Famine) and office politics. We had many a fine conversation in the late afternoons that sometimes continued beyond the end of the work day. As Barry said, Joe had a great sense of humor.

In the late 1980s, as computers became ubiquitous in the office environment, OFDA established a committee to explore computer and automation options, as Barry mentioned, and I was a member of it as well. When I looked back on it, I thought how lucky we were that we chose to go the personal computer route — as opposed to a different office system, which I don’t even remember the name of, but which was popular at the time (but soon was jettisoned, like the way Wang Word Processing was). But of course, that wasn’t really “luck” because we had Joe on the committee, who helped steer us in the right direction.

Joe was a bit of a loner and did not usually attend after-work social events, but he did on occasion. There was the memorable time he joined a group of us for “drinks and dancing”, as I wrote in my calendar diary — Mario was there also.

When Barry and I were reminiscing the other day, he mentioned how he feels warmly when he thinks of those times at OFDA in the late 1980s. That’s exactly how I feel, too — those were fulfilling and fun times, when we were working on projects of substance with some wonderful and like-minded colleagues. Joe was an integral part of that.

Joe and I did not keep in touch directly after we both left OFDA, but Barry made sure we both knew what was going on in each other’s lives. I greatly appreciated how happy he was for me when I had triplets in 2000. Joe was a good friend whom I greatly admired.

~ Cindy Davis Gersony

I was saddened when Cindy informed me on Thanksgiving of Joe’s death.  As Barry mentioned, Joe “led a very solitary life” as do I, and we never got in touch with each other since we both left USAID/OFDA.  Learning about the death of a friend or acquaintance from the past always propels me into further self-reflection on the past and I regret not staying in contact with Joe over these past 30 years, although we both led somewhat hermetic lives and probably avoid people too much like ourselves. Still, we never fully comprehend how much we have affected those we know and come across – only revealed after we have gone. It makes me almost sentimental – and unfortunately Joe will never know the impact he had on others and his work at OFDA and the role he played in reconnecting those in his orbit.

~ Dennis King