James Walter O'Connor passed away peacefully in the early morning of Monday, January 25, 2016 in the home of his daughter, Beth Stepanik, in West Chester. Jimmy was surrounded by his loving family, which was his favorite thing in life. As a youngster, Jimmy loved travelling into the city to help his father deliver eggs. Jimmy also was an avid hunter and fisherman as a young boy and could be seen riding his bike around the area with his gun or fishing pole at hand. Jimmy was a long time resident of Spring City, and attended Spring City High School, class of 1944. At the age of 17 he left school to join the Navy to serve his country in World War II. He was assigned to the U.S.S. Alabama and fought valiantly behind his machine gun throughout many combat missions on the Pacific Front, from 1944 to 1946. These were the proudest years of his life and his family shared that pride. In 2010, his two daughters and grandson (also a Veteran, of the war in Iraq) took him to visit the U.S.S. Alabama which is in a memorial park in Mobile. There, he enjoyed his one day of fame as a former crewman as people lined up to shake his hand and hear his stories. Upon his return home from the war, he met his future wife, Evelyn May Hanebury. They were married for 62 years before Evelyn's passing in 2011. Jim was also preceded in death by his father, Thomas O'Connor, and his mother, Mary Miller, brothers, both decorated combat veteran's themselves, Thomas O'Connor and Joseph O'Connor, and his sister Cass (O'Connor) Hendricks. Jim is survived by his sister, Patricia Flanagan, his loving daughters, Linda Jones and Beth Stepanik, and their husbands Ken Jones and Mark Stepanik. Also surviving are his grandchildren, Mandi Spriggs (husband Aaron Spriggs), Kimberly Jones, Chad Stepanik, and Natalie Stepanik, and James's namesake great-grandson, Dylan James Spriggs. Service will be held on Saturday, January 30, 2016 at Shalkop Grace & Strunk Funeral Home, Bridge and Church Streets, Spring City, PA. Interment will be private. Friends and family may call Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, Jim requested that memorial gifts be made to the Go Fund Me for Dylan Spriggs at https://www.gofundme.com/dylanspriggs for his great-grandson's fight against brain cancer, DIPG. On line condolences may be made at www.sgsfuneralhome.com