The Counterpoint Group would like to express its condolences to Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and her three sons, Scott, Brian and Jay in the passing of John J. O’Connor III. The Supreme Court released the following statement:
John J. O’Connor, III, husband of retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, died today, November 11, in Phoenix, Arizona, of complications arising from Alzheimer’s disease. John O’Connor was born in San Francisco, California on January 10, 1930. He was the son of Dr. John J. O’Connor, II, and Sally Flynn O’Connor. He earned an A.B. from Stanford University in 1951 and earned a law degree from Stanford in 1953. It was at Stanford Law School that John O’Connor and Sandra Day O’Connor met. They were married on December 20, 1952 at the Day family home, the Lazy B Ranch, in southeast Arizona.
Upon graduation from law school, John O’Connor joined the Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps and was stationed in Frankfurt, Germany from 1954-1956. In 1957, the couple returned to Phoenix, where he practiced law with the Fennemore, Craig, von Ammon, McClennen and Udall law firm until 1981. When Sandra Day O’Connor was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1981 and the family moved to Washington, D.C., John O’Connor continued to practice law with the firms Miller & Chevalier and with Bryan Cave. In both Phoenix and in Washington, Mr. O’Connor was active in community service and chaired several charitable, social and professional boards.
