Extracted from The Houston Chronicle (Houston, TX)
Sunday, May 2, 2010

JOSEPH JAMES WEBSTER CONNOR

JOSEPH JAMES WEBSTER CONNOR (BUDDY), 87, died peacefully on April 14, 2010. Born in Boston, MA, on July 12, 1922, to Webster Harold Connor & Ola Hurst, as his sister Isabelle and Grandmother Dora Gallagher Connor waited for his arrival.

During the Depression the closely knit family moved along the Eastern Seaboard, the Mid-West, before settling in Texas in 1930's. Joe graduated San Jacinto High School in 1939, before attending Rice University and University of Houston.

In 1943 Joe began his military service for the U.S. Army, 1055th Engineers Co. He would say he landed on Omaha Beach without getting his feet wet 8 days after D-Day. The 1055th immediately began reconstruction in places such as Cherbourg, Calais, & Le Harve, France, and Bremen, Germany.

After being Honorably Discharged in 1945, Joe began his career as an engineer in the Petrochemical industry where he met the boss's secretary, Sybile. Joe married Sybile in 1947, parenting 5 children along the way.

Joe was a loving, kind, gentle man who shared his faith and love in God, Who continues to be the enduring and guiding force in our lives. Joe's death was preceded by the passing of his daughter Roxane Payan in 2006, and son David in 2009. We know the two children, other family members and friends greeted Joe after he entered God's Gates.

Deeply saddened by Joe's passing are his wife of 63 years, Sybile Connor, son Jim & friend Sylvia Macias, daughter Cynthia L. Connor and husband Randy Hall, daughter Faith C. Hamburg; grandsons Joshua Connor, Andrew Evans, Jacob Hamburg and Tatum Payan, granddaughter Kia Payan, brother-in-law Reynolds Henderson and wife Margaret; their 4 nieces and extended families.

Joe was most recently a member of Advent Lutheran Church after over 20 years at Faith Lutheran. He was a 53 year member of Bellaire Masonic Lodge #1336, A.F. & A.M., and the Knights Templar and related Fraternal Orders.

The family is blessed that Joe remained at home where we enjoyed listening to his oft repeated, ``Lord, help me!''

The staff at Houston Hospice eased the last two weeks of his 12 year battle with Alzheimer's disease.

Memorial services will be on May 6th at 2:00pm at Advent Lutheran Church, 5820 Pinemont Dr., Houston, TX 77092. Pastor Larry Beck will be officiating.

In lieu of flowers, please consider benevolence to your favored charity or Houston Hospice, 1905 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, TX 77030.