Obituary of Brian Francis DeSales O'Connor
O’Connor, Brian Francis de Sales
December 27, 1943 – May 6, 2021
Brian’s wife Hélène (nee Gauthier), their sons Sean, Philippe (Kaitlyn), Francis and grandson Stephen Brian are very sad to bid adieu and farewell to our dear husband and dad. Brian died in Perth Ontario where he and Hélène happily retired in Burgess Wood beside Otty Lake in 2010.
The eldest of 5 siblings, Brian was adored by his sisters, Laurie (Doug Goldthorpe), Mary Carroll, Catherine, Nancy, and Ann (Sandy Sutherland).
The son of Dr Laurence O’Connor and Louise O’Leary, he grew up in Kingston where, under the firm hand of the Jesuits he attended Regiopolis High School and graduated from St Patrick’s College with a BA in Political Science in 1966. From there, he set his sights on a career in the Foreign Service for the Department of Immigration and he and Hélène arrived in Liverpool on the first of many postings in 1967. Next came Manchester, Hamburg, Bogota, Santiago, Paris, Manila and finally Jamaica. Over the course of his career he became fluent in French, German and Spanish.
As devoted as he was to his profession, Brian showed enthusiasm for many other pursuits. He satisfied a long-held ambition and became a pilot in Liverpool in 1968.
His remarkable radio announcer voice that fascinated the ladies made him a valued bass part for choirs he joined in many parts of the world, not the least of which was “The Men of the Tay” in Perth.
He was very keen on sailing and enjoyed adventures in Ireland, the Adriatic, the Philippines, and the South China Sea. Most cherished was a positioning trip across the Atlantic with former colleagues aboard the Star Clipper, a well-deserved retirement gift to himself.
A keen fisherman, Brian took his young bride on a shark fishing trip to Kinsale, Ireland where she put all the men to shame by landing the first catch. Best of all was his enthusiasm for diving which we all became passionate about and shared trips in the Philippines, Palau, Mexico, the Cayman Islands, St Vincent, Bonaire, and Jamaica. My fondest memory of our travels was a sailing trip he organized to the Galapagos Islands and an overnight stay in magical Machu Pichu, long before these destinations became well known. Brian was unbeatable at geography quizzes and his knowledge served us well as he ferried us around the world.
Perhaps the most rewarding of his accomplishments was to be the first foreign volunteer invited to join the British Commonwealth Fire Brigade in Chile. The city of Santiago is entirely protected by volunteers. Like Canada, Chile is a country of immigration and the fire companies were established along national lines. Nothing was more exhilarating for Brian than to don his volunteer gear, (a leather jacket and white towel around his neck which also served as a mask), leap into his car, turn on his personal siren and two way radio to respond to an alarm. Hélène was sometimes invited to work the siren and almost lost him when he fell through the roof of a toilet factory. After our departure, he was gratified to know that the fire company continued the tradition of inviting a representative from the Canadian Embassy in Chile to join their organization.
Brian was a superb chef for his family and friends and spent many happy hours perusing kitchen supply shops in Paris bringing home many a sophisticated gadget. His knowledge of birds and nature long nourished by his paternal grandmother was legendary and generously passed on to us.
He provided his family with a life full of fascinating experiences and opportunities to form wonderful relationships with people from many parts of the world. He loved his work and his dedication and professionalism helped build a better Canada.
Brian was an honourable man who will be missed by his family and friends, but we know how fortunate we were to have him.
“In due course” as he would say, we will gather for libations and laughs in his honour.
Donations to Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders in memory of him are welcome.
