Tom O’Connor was born in Harvey, Illinois on July 4, 1931. He attended Indiana University where he met his wife, Joann Zuklin. The two graduated from IU in 1957 and Tom moved to Brookville in June. He went on to pass the bar in November and then formed a partnership with Virgil McCarty. He continued to practice law until January of 2013.
Tom and Joann were married in August, 1957. The couple had five children; Patricia (Kevin) Hull, Brian (Martha) O’Connor, Tracey (Mark) Kettle, Kara Oaldon, and Kyle (Naomi) O’Connor. They also have 9 grandchildren.
Tom’s interests included the Knights of Columbus, where he was a Fourth Degree member, Twin Forks Campground, St. Michael Church, and he was a lifetime member of the Bernard Hurst Post #77 of the American Legion. He was an avid reader of books about our presidents and history. He was also president of the Whitewater Valley Flood Control Association which was responsible for securing funding for the Brookville Dam. Tom was very interested in the environment and conservation and established the Seven Oaks Classified Forest in Franklin County.
Tom passed away on October 19, 2013. With memorial contributions, the Tom O’Connor Memorial Scholarship endowment has been established in the Franklin County Community Foundation. The endowment will provide funds annually to a current college student who is a Franklin County resident. The student must be a Junior or Senior in college or attending Graduate School. In Joann’s words, “There are so many scholarships given to students when they graduate from high school. We want to support current students that have made the decision to stay in college”.