M. Patricia Connor

The beautiful, sharp-witted and incredibly strong Mary Patricia (Ford) Connor of Bow, NH, 86, passed away on April 4^th, 2024, with her loving husband at her side.

Pat was born on September 18, 1937, in Greenville, Rhode Island to parents William J. and Lumena (Delahunt) Ford.  She attended Saint Xavier Academy in Providence, RI, and was the Editor of her school newspaper.  She excelled in academics and graduated at the top of her class. 

It was in the 6^th grade that she spotted the boy who would later become her husband.  When she saw him, she turned and asked her best friend, Paula, who the handsome boy was.  Paula laughed and replied that it was “just her cousin”.  Pat would go on to date that boy, Gene, marrying him when she was 17 and launching their 68 plus years of adventures together.  They had eight children and raised their family in various locations throughout New England, built a family business, enjoyed vacation homes in Florida and traveled all over – including the West Coast, Canada, Ireland and many tropical island paradises.  

Pat was an amazing wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother – loving, gracious, generous – and the heart of all family activities.  She raised her children with love and humor and incredible patience – and tried to instill the moral compass that she embodied.  She supported her children’s activities – attending every game, play or presentation, and always encouraged excellence in everything.  There was no such thing as “I can’t.”  It was always responded to with “you’ll figure it out.”   She kept a spotless home and was a phenomenal hostess.  She could feed and entertain crowds of family and friends with ease and grace – and her Christmas parties were legendary.  She loved traveling, reading, writing, and chatting with friends – making lasting friendships wherever she went.   

When her husband decided to get his pilot’s license, Pat took flying lessons to be his co-pilot and rumor has it that she beat his score on the exam.  It’s possible that she spread that rumor herself just to tease him, but she was very competitive – and had the skill and brains to back it up.  It was that competitive nature that also propelled her in activities such as swimming, scuba diving, ice skating, tennis, golf, mahjong and word games of any kind.  After her children were off on their own, she got her Realtor’s license and worked for over a decade for Coldwell Banker and enjoyed being a career woman, which must have seemed easy in comparison to raising so many children.  Her clients loved her easy-going nature, sense of humor, and genuine concern for their home-owning dreams.  

She was also quick with her quips…she could surprise you at every turn with a clever, sarcastic, or sassy retort that left you in a heap of laughter.  Even as her memory loss became greater, her sense of humor always found its way through in a well-timed, and well-delivered, retort.

More than anything, Pat adored her husband of 68 years.  She and Gene came from the same background and Catholic education, but it was their love that kept them together through the good and inevitable hard times.  They had an impressive marriage sustained by mutual respect and uncompromising family values.  She was strong and resilient – the Matriarch of the clan – and she always knew the right thing to do, guiding her family with a no-nonsense “I know you can do it” attitude.  She lived her life with energy and enthusiasm and a kind of simple elegance; she was remarkable in every way and the light from her beautiful blue eyes will never fade. 

Pat is survived by her beloved husband, Eugene R. Connor, and six of their eight children: Gene Jr., Kathie, Patti, Judi and her husband Pete Perez, Christine and her husband John Riganati, and Kerry and her husband Matthew Glance, as well as 13 Grandchildren and 8 Great-Grandchildren; she was predeceased by her two sons, Michael and Timothy Connor as well as her brother William J. Ford Jr. and her sister, Judith Cavallaro.  Her extended family includes a brother Robert Ford of Ocala, FL and her Sister-In-Law, Elaine Ford of Greenville, RI, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Calling hours at Lambert Funeral Home & Crematory, 1799 Elm St, corner of North St, will be Tuesday, April 16th from 4 to 7 pm. A graveside committal service will be held on Wednesday, April 17th at 11:30 am in Ridgewood Cemetery, North Andover, MA. 
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Christ The King Parish, 72 S. Main St, Concord, NH 03301.  Go to Give to Christ the King Parish (breezechms.com)