Francis James O’Hara, III, otherwise known as “Pete”, Dad, Grandpa, Great Grandpa, Uncle Pete, or Cousin Pete passed on Sunday, March 12th, 2023 at the age of 89. He was predeceased by his wife of 60 years, Patrician Ann (Smith) O’Hara, brothers Michael and John, sisters in law, Judy and Duane. He is survived by his brother Mark, sister Bridget, his five children (Michael, Maggie, Katie, Molly, and Ann) and their families, including eight grandchildren and one great- grandchild, as well as nieces, nephews, numerous cousins and their children too.
Pete was a member of many distinguished communities during his life such as Phillips Academy Andover, Yale University, the United States Marine Corps, IBM, Hopewell Valley Paddle Tennis Club, and importantly, St. James Catholic Church in Pennington NJ, and Our Lady of Lords in Dunedin FL. He loved his family unconditionally, he was kind, generous, and inclusive (before that word had a political connotation). He was a strict disciplinarian, but happily rewarded hard work and success. His devotion to his family, his country, and his faith was authentic and important. As a young man in school, he was nicknamed
“the Saint,” and he was referred to as the “white sheep of the family,” given his personal integrity and sense of responsibility. And while his feelings of right and wrong formed a hard line in the sand, he was still generous of spirit to everyone he knew, even those with whom he disagreed.
Pete was a low-key tech early adopter – selling the famous IBM 360s in the 60s, taught his youngest child to code on the early computers of the 80s. He learned email in the 90s when his children lived in all the corners of the earth, Skype in ‘00s, and more recently Zoom for the Covid family “gatherings.” He set the tone for anything is possible and to keep learning.
He valued achievement but wasn’t a slave to it. He was proud of his children’s many academic and professional accomplishments, and was grateful to be of help when they stumbled, helping them put it behind them. He was a calm presence who valued the very barest of necessities. A term which captured his outlook is “lagom” (pronounced ˈlɑ̂ ːɡɔm, LAW-gom), a Swedish saying for “just enough” which emphasizes the importance of being happy with what you have and to be generous with others who have less.
He volunteered with numerous charities and offered financial support to causes close to his heart. He lived a great life, took care of his family, was generous with his time and donations, and was so gracious and happy in his exit. Slàinte Mhath, Pete O’Hara!
Family and friends are invited to attend a Catholic Mass and Celebration of Life on Friday, June 23rd at 11am in St. James Church’s “Little Church” on Eglantine Avenue in Pennington, NJ, followed by a burial at the Pennington Cemetery and lunch in St. James Church’s “God’s Gym”.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Friends of Pinellas Trail, an organization that Pete volunteered in and invested in. https://friendsofthepinellastrail.org/product/donations/
