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Elmhurst, IL Roots
*reposted article from the Elmhurst Patch
Since 2005, Jim O'Connor has been sprinkling a little luck o' the Irish over Elmhurst's St. Patrick's Day parade.
"We'll get about 70 calls the week before the parade," O'Connor said. "People asking where to park or if they can still submit an entry."
The parade has grown significantly since those early days and is now among the largest in the Chicago area.
"Initially the idea was to make it last an hour," O'Connor said. "So we had three garbage trucks in the parade that first year."
Nowadays, planning for the next year's parade begins the moment the last entry has crossed the finish line. O'Connor said the one vital component of preparing for the next year is the post-parade meeting to discuss what went wrong and what can be improved upon. They like to do this while the experience is still fresh in everyone's head.
His Blood Runs Green
O'Connor is a second-generation Irishman; all four of his grandparents came from Ireland to America seeking a better life.
"My dad used to say 'we're Americans, not Irishman,' " O'Connor said.
The stockily built O'Connor grew up on Kearsage Avenue, along with his six siblings, and attended Immaculate Conception grade school and high school. He forged lifelong friendships during his time at IC, including with his good friend Paul Koch.
"Paul and I were in first grade together," O'Connor said. "We've been friends ever since."
Koch, who is part-owner of Elmhurst-based Larry Roesch Chrysler Jeep Dodge, offers a rare glimpse of the reticent O'Connor.
"I think going to IC helped us become good guys; it was part of our 'Leave it to Beaver' upbringing," Koch said.
"Jim is seen by some, at first glance, as being cantankerous, but one quickly realizes he has a heart of gold. That's why he organizes the St. Pat's parade. He loves Elmhurst and wants everyone to have fun together, although he'd never admit it."
O'Connor is quick to credit others for the parade's success and offers a litany of names of people who work hard to make the parade special. From the Elmhurst College football players, who will be parade marshals, to those who make sure everything is cleaned up after the parade's 20,000 visitors leave.
"It's a team effort," O'Connor said.
The feeling is reciprocal among his many friends.
"Jim loves Elmhurst," said Elmhurst resident Mike Carson. "His upbeat attitude is contagious."
They Look Out for Each Other
O'Connor married Mary Doolan in 1993. They have four children; 23-year-old Kimberly, who is the mother of their grandson, Dylan, and Tim, Molly and Billy, who attend Sandburg Middle School.
"My wife is mother-of-the-year," O'Connor said.
O'Connor and his wife spend a lot of time with their grandson, and when asked about Dylan's personality, he responds in a typical short, quip.
"He's 4 years old and all boy."
O'Connor's parents, Bill and Rosaleen, still live in the house where they raised their seven children. He credits them with his strong sense of faith and family.
"My parents raised a great family," O'Connor said. "All of us kids love and respect them very much."
The senior O'Connors will attend this year's parade and sit in VIP seats, in what has been unofficially dubbed "O'Connors Row."
On March 22, O'Connor will celebrate his 50th birthday. He appreciates his Irish heritage and the strength he draws from friends, family and community.
"People look out for each other here," he said.
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