1995
Sean
2016
Sean O'Connor
April 12, 1995 — March 25, 2016
Sean Patrick O’Connor, 20, of Overland Park, passed away March 25, 2016. He was born to Robert and Lisa O’Connor on April 12, 1995. Sean lived in and attended school in South Florida until his family moved to the Kansas City area in 2007. He attended Harmony Middle School and graduated from Blue Valley West in 2013. Sean initially attended Loyola University Chicago, where he pledged the Sigma Pi fraternity. He was currently a junior majoring in Computer Engineering at the University of Kansas and had limitless potential.
Sean was quite literally a larger than life character. An outsized personality in a 6-9 frame. Sean was fiercely loyal, beloved by his friends, and took great satisfaction in looking out for friends and loved ones. He was always the first person to check in, or just let a friend know that he cared. Talk to Sean’s friends and loved ones and they will inevitably tell you that he was one of the smartest people they knew. He was also persistent, and stubborn. Getting into a debate with Sean was a bad idea if you at all valued winning. His wit was quick, his jokes were clever, and everyone that loved him (especially his Father) knew what it was like to get roasted by Sean. Savage but hilarious.
Sean loved his family dearly, especially his little sister Caitlin, who looked up to him as a role model and protector. Though it was sometimes harder for his mother, Lisa, to get Sean’s ear as he got older, both still continued to value the long, deep conversations that they had. His Father, Bob, loves to tell the story of when he promised Sean that he would fly him from Florida to New Orleans for the 2003 Final Four if Kansas made it. The Jayhawks topped Arizona to advance to the Final Four, and as promised, Bob flew Sean to New Orleans, and sent a private limousine to pick him up from the airport. The image of seven year old Sean rolling in a limousine through New Orleans to the Final Four still makes Bob smile.
Sean and his family very recently enjoyed a vacation to Mexico, where they did what they loved the most: laughed, reminisced, and tried to one up another in the hilariousness department. The family relishes the trip as it provided a final, extremely joyous memory, which exemplified their experience together
Besides being passionate about his friends and loved ones, Sean regularly traveled the country to attend concerts and music festivals. Sean also loved Kansas basketball and always could be counted on to provide his “expert” analysis of the games. Rarely was Sean seen not wearing his favorite KU hoodie.
Sean is survived by his parents Bob and Lisa (LaPaglia) O’Connor, his brother Bobby and his wife Lisa, his sisters Caitlin and Kelly, and his loving girlfriend of five years, Lauren Hjelmaas. He also leaves his maternal grandmother, Rosemarie LaPaglia. Sean is also survived by countless heartbroken friends, a host of everlasting brothers from Sigma Pi, a niece, and numerous loving aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Funeral arrangements are being handled by the Johnson County Funeral Chapel in Overland Park at 11200 Metcalf Avenue. On Wednesday, March 30th a memorial service will be held from 1:00 – 2:00 pm. A visitation will immediately follow from 2:00 – 5:30 pm.
Sean was quite literally a larger than life character. An outsized personality in a 6-9 frame. Sean was fiercely loyal, beloved by his friends, and took great satisfaction in looking out for friends and loved ones. He was always the first person to check in, or just let a friend know that he cared. Talk to Sean’s friends and loved ones and they will inevitably tell you that he was one of the smartest people they knew. He was also persistent, and stubborn. Getting into a debate with Sean was a bad idea if you at all valued winning. His wit was quick, his jokes were clever, and everyone that loved him (especially his Father) knew what it was like to get roasted by Sean. Savage but hilarious.
Sean loved his family dearly, especially his little sister Caitlin, who looked up to him as a role model and protector. Though it was sometimes harder for his mother, Lisa, to get Sean’s ear as he got older, both still continued to value the long, deep conversations that they had. His Father, Bob, loves to tell the story of when he promised Sean that he would fly him from Florida to New Orleans for the 2003 Final Four if Kansas made it. The Jayhawks topped Arizona to advance to the Final Four, and as promised, Bob flew Sean to New Orleans, and sent a private limousine to pick him up from the airport. The image of seven year old Sean rolling in a limousine through New Orleans to the Final Four still makes Bob smile.
Sean and his family very recently enjoyed a vacation to Mexico, where they did what they loved the most: laughed, reminisced, and tried to one up another in the hilariousness department. The family relishes the trip as it provided a final, extremely joyous memory, which exemplified their experience together
Besides being passionate about his friends and loved ones, Sean regularly traveled the country to attend concerts and music festivals. Sean also loved Kansas basketball and always could be counted on to provide his “expert” analysis of the games. Rarely was Sean seen not wearing his favorite KU hoodie.
Sean is survived by his parents Bob and Lisa (LaPaglia) O’Connor, his brother Bobby and his wife Lisa, his sisters Caitlin and Kelly, and his loving girlfriend of five years, Lauren Hjelmaas. He also leaves his maternal grandmother, Rosemarie LaPaglia. Sean is also survived by countless heartbroken friends, a host of everlasting brothers from Sigma Pi, a niece, and numerous loving aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Funeral arrangements are being handled by the Johnson County Funeral Chapel in Overland Park at 11200 Metcalf Avenue. On Wednesday, March 30th a memorial service will be held from 1:00 – 2:00 pm. A visitation will immediately follow from 2:00 – 5:30 pm.
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