Leaving a Legacy: Karen O'Connor

Karen O’Connor of Vero Beach, Florida, passed away on May 28, 2020 at 76 years old. Starting as a physical education teacher and head hockey coach at Lewis S. Mills High School in Burlington, Connecticut, O’Connor became the first female president of the Connecticut High School Coaches Association in 1983. Ms. O’Connor’s career is sprinkled with awards, one of which was her induction into the Ken Hoagland Lewis S. Mills Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006. In Vero Beach, Karen O’Connor was a former President of the SeaWatch Condominium Association and a member of the Quail Valley Club.

Please click here to read Karen O'Connor's full obituary.

Ms. O’Connor’s legacy in Vero Beach will continue through charitable donations from her Community Foundation fund to local organizations such as SafeSpace, St. Francis Manor, Senior Resource Association, and Children’s Home Society of Florida. These organizations were generously selected by Ms. O’Connor prior to her passing as a way for her to ensure the sustainability of organizations that support vulnerable children and seniors in Indian River County.

The Alma Lee Loy Legacy Society honors donors who have entrusted Indian River Community Foundation with their charitable legacy.  Members like Karen O’Connor of the Legacy Society are special people who have made planned gifts today that will provide significant benefits to our community in the future.  To learn more about making a planned gift from an estate, visit www.ircflegacy.org or call 772.492.1407.