Francis Connors Obituary

Francis M. Connors 62, of Elmhurst, Il, born June 2, 1948 died suddenly of natural causes in Elmhurst Memorial Hospital Saturday, October 2, 2010. A resident of Elmhurst since 1977, Fran Connors was a family man and a neighborhood guy. He was born and raised in Bridgeport, a neighborhood of close friends and politicians. He attended DeLaSalle High School, maintaining close neighborhood friendships, including playing ball with his buddies, The Stickmen, for many years. He went on to study at DePaul University, leaving to serve in the U.S. Army from May, 1968 until his discharge as a sergeant in May of 1970. He proudly served in Vietnam from November 5, 1968 until October 17, 1969. Upon discharge from the military, Fran worked as a driver for Bishop Mail Service. He worked for AT&T from 1977 until his retirement in 2004, always loyal to his employer and dedicated to his job. In his retirement he worked again as a driver for his nephew's company, Dynamic Electronic Services. In addition, he returned to the baseball diamond as an umpire for a time. He met his wife, Jane Butler, at Comiskey Park in the summer of 1972 when his sister, Jane's friend, and her husband brought Jane to a Sox game. Fran joined them that evening, not an unusual occurrence. Fran, as a Bridgeport native, was a loyal Sox fan and a regular at the park. Married in October of 1976, Fran and Jane moved to Elmhurst to set down roots and raise their family. He brought to Elmhurst the same values he learned as a young man in Bridgeport: unwavering loyalty to family and kindness to neighbors. Whether shoveling snow, cleaning gutters, putting the paper on a neighbor's doorstep, or clearing the sewer at the corner during a storm, Fran always watched out for his neighbors in a quiet unassuming way. Fran Connors was a supporter of politicians, not because of their potentially powerful positions, but because these politicians were friends and neighbors. Fran became politically active in supporting politicians because he knew they would simply do what's right in office, for the community in which he lived. Fran Connors supported and thoroughly enjoyed sports, especially high school sports, often seen on the sidelines as a quiet and unassuming observer and fan. Whether the York Dukes, where his sons played ball, or the Immaculate Conception Knights, where his wife has taught for twenty years, the teams kept alive a heartfelt passion for the game. He followed the teams, kept track of the scores and the standings, but his interest was always in the kid inside the uniform. Fran coached for many years with the Elmhurst Baseball League, while his sons were growing up. He taught the skills of the game to many young boys - and girls. He always believed in a child's ability to become a ballplayer. He taught with his heart. When children were "drafted" for a team by the coaches, Fran would personally knock on the door of the parents to introduce himself: "Your son/daughter was chosen by me to be on the team." Fran Connors was a family man and a neighborhood guy. Fran Connors is survived by his wife, Jane, and his family, Mike and Megan Connors, Jim Connors and Steve Connors. Mass of the Resurrection was celebrated at Immaculate Conception Church on Wednesday October 6. Visitation was held at Gibbons Funeral Home in Elmhurst. Memorials would be appreciated to Immaculate Conception High School, 217 Cottage Hill, Elmhurst, Il, 60126 or to Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church, 653 W 37th St, Chicago, Il 60609.