Thomas Edward O’Connor

Thomas Edward O’Connor, known as Tom to his friends, was a Vietnam War veteran and factory worker from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Drafted in 1965, he served as a mechanic in the U.S. Army, earning a Purple Heart after being wounded in a mortar attack. After returning home, he spent 30 years on the assembly line at a steel mill, proud to provide for his wife and four kids. Tom rarely spoke of the war, but his resilience showed in how he lived—fixing anything broken, from cars to family disputes, with a steady hand and a bad dad joke to lighten the mood. He was a regular at the local VFW hall, swapping stories over cheap beer, and coached Little League for years, teaching kids grit over talent. His backyard barbecues were epic, with his secret rib rub drawing a crowd every summer. He passed at 79 from lung cancer, likely tied to years of factory smoke and Agent Orange exposure, in the VA hospital with his family by his side. His military medals and a worn Pirates cap sit on his grandson’s shelf now, symbols of a man who served and loved with everything he had.