Obituary of Rod O'Connor

If Roderick George O’Connor, ever had a nickname or tag line, it would have been the “fix-it” man. Rod was born in Los Angeles, CA to Roderick and Syliva O’Connor on September 11, 1944. He passed away on April 12, 2020, in the TRU Hospice Care Center at Longmont United Hospital, CO. Rod attended elementary schools in Los Angeles before moving with his mother to Salt Lake City, UT. He left high school during his senior year to work at KSL-TV in Salt Lake City. During those years in Salt Lake City, Rod became a self-taught handi man able to fix many things. When Ampex Corporation hired him, he moved to California where he located in the San Francisco Bay area. Rod spent 20 plus years working as an electrical technician with that company until 1987. Ampex transferred Rod to Galveston, TX where he met his wife–to-be, Jimmye, at their same worksite. They married in Texas City, TX on February 12, 1972. As a good site supervisor, Rod was moved to Joliet, IL then to Des Moines, IA where he got his GED and took some college classes. He was most proud of his 96th percentile score in all his GED subjects. The young couple eventually moved to Boulder where he worked at NCAR. After leaving Ampex Corporation, Rod worked for Exabyte, Maxtor, and finally McGuckin. As a man behind the green vest, Rod worked in McGuckin’s electrical department for five years until his retirement in 2011. Beyond fixing many things, Rod enjoyed riding his bike and doing computer work at his home desk. He and Jimmye celebrated 48 years of marriage this February. Rod is survived by his wife Jimmye Michal O’Connor of Boulder, CO, his sister Pam O’Connor (Salt Lake City, UT), sister-in-law Patricia McClain (Dickinson, TX), and nephew Brent O’Connor (Julie), Manhattan, KS. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Dennis O’Connor. A Mass of Christian Burial is planned with details pending. The family requests memorial contributions in Rod’s name be sent to the American Cancer Society (10065 E. Harvard Ave., Ste. 400, Denver, CO