Francis James O'Hara, III

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
Philipps 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
‘00’s, 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 [ˈlɑ̂ːɡɔm], 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 23 rd 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/