Barry O’Connor dies

Jeff Green | Feb 11, 2010

Barry O’Connor, who served as principal of Sharbot Lake High School in the 1980s and eventually climbed the administrative ladder to become Director of the Limestone District School Board, has died of cancer at the age of 60.

O’Connor was only 37 when he got his first posting as a high school principal in Sharbot Lake.

Former staff from the school recalled his impact on the school when they learned of O’Connor’s death.

“He was certainly one of the finest human beings I’ve ever known. We were working at 110% of our capacity when he was at Sharbot Lake,” said Gary Giller, who taught at SLHS throughout Barry O’Connor’s tenure at the school. “He just had a way with people, he had a way of getting the most out of people. Great things were always happening while he was principal.”

Giller said that O’Connor served as Director of the Limestone Board during some turbulent times under the Mike Harris government but “he remained positive through all that.”

After his retirement from the school board in 2004, O’Connor remained active as a basketball coach.

Barry O’Connor is survived by his wife Marilyn, son Ryan and daughter Steacy O'Connor-Wordley.