A. David O’Connell, age 80 of Taunton, Ma. passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by his family. David was the husband of Karen. He was the son of Edward and Edith (Rogers) O’Connell, the father of Edward, (Shaunna) O’Connell of Taunton, Kara O’Connell of Raynham and grandfather of Sarah (Carter) Hammond of New Hampshire, Shaun Gingras of Rhode Island, and Ashton and Riley O’Connell of Taunton. He leaves a sister, Elizabeth (Robert) Lee of Pennsylvania, and was preceded in death by brothers Edward and William, as well as many nieces and nephews.
He graduated from Dighton High School and entered the US Navy upon graduation. He was a Navy Corpsman serving on the USS Monticello. Upon discharge, he entered the United States Navy Reserves, serving another 9 years before retiring from the armed services. David was an employee of Morton Hospital for 35 years, starting in x-ray and retiring as the Administrative Director of Laboratory Services in 1992. David also served proudly as a reserve officer for the Dighton Police Department for 20 years.
David’s favorite times were spent with family boating, fishing or just spending time on his deck overlooking the water. David was an avid softball player, having played for teams in and around Taunton. Boating was his favorite pastime, and sailing with Doc, where they won the Marion to Bermuda race in their class. He enjoyed bowling and golfing, having achieved a hole-in-one which he was very proud of.
The family remembers him as having a relentless sense of humor and a sharp wit that he carried with him until the very end. The family would like to thank Tom Rose who was a dedicated friend and always looked forward to those great card games. The family would like to thank Dr. Brian Bagdasian for his compassionate treatment, his friends at the Taunton Renal Dialysis Center and Dr. Chilazi and Dr. Natan for their years of extraordinary care. Finally, the family would like to thank the team at Compassionate Care Hospice for the wonderful end-of-life care they provided to David and his family.
Due to David’s wishes, services will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Taunton Animal Shelter, 821 W Water St, Taunton, MA 02780 or Compassionate Care Hospice, 100 Myles Standish Boulevard, Taunton, 02780.