Lillian O’Connor …December 3, 1947 – April 1, 2018

Funeral services for Lillian O’Connor will be held at 11:00 a.m., Friday, April 13, 2018 at the First United Methodist Church in Las Animas, Colorado with the Reverend Charles Estes Fowler II officiating. Interment will follow at the Bent/Las Animas Cemetery. Visitation for Lillian will from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Thursday, April 12, 2018 at Horber Funeral Chapel in Las Animas, Colorado.

On Easter Sunday, April 1, 2018, Lillian (Valdez) O’Connor left this earth and entered into eternal rest; laying down her earthly body for a new heavenly body that will not corrupt.

Lillian was born on December 3, 1947 to Virginia and Samuel Valdez Jr. in Las Animas, Colorado where she lived most of her life.  She was married to Kenneth Lee O’Connor on July 31, 1966 in Las Animas, Colorado. She raised 3 children: Lillian, Kenneth Lee Jr., and Tiffany.

Lillian was a homemaker, teacher’s aide, she worked at Ft. Lyon, and was a Sunday school teacher and was the main supporter of Super Church Children’s Ministries for the Assembly of God Church in Las Animas, Colorado.

In her life, she overcame obstacles where medical professionals said she would not live, not walk again nor have any additional children. Through her faith in God, she proved otherwise and did so with vigor which included birthing 2 additional children, learning to walk again and further, learning to ride a bike again.

Lillian’s tenacity and determination were evident to all who knew her. Life experiences were sometimes unfair in the eyes of many. She took on life-challenges as something to be conquered and did not allow negative occurrences to threaten her faith or bring her down. Lillian was known to all as a “woman of faith”; someone who trusted God through all circumstances and she led by example.

Lillian enjoyed visiting with friends and making new friends with every trip out of the house; sharing scriptures, words of encouragement and praying with those who were in need.

She enjoyed crafts which included creating lady bugs out of rocks and then randomly giving them away even to the point of leaving them on random porches and in front yards and saying a prayer for the would-be individual who would find the lady bug. This is how she was dubbed “Lady Bug”.

Her door was always open to anyone who wished to visit with her. They were always greeted with a hug and left having received words of wisdom and a prayer.

Lillian is survived by her children, Lillian (David) Scalfri, Kenneth Lee O’Connor Jr; siblings, Joyce Johnson, Georgia Banister, June Durga and Frank Valdez; 3 grandchildren: Jessica Scalfri, David J. Scalfri and Olivia Banister; numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews; and multiples of friends all whom she called family.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Virginia and Samuel Valdez Jr., husband, Kenneth Lee O’Connor Sr; youngest daughter and precious angel, Tiffany O’Connor; brothers, Anthony Valdez and Richard Valdez (who passed in infancy).

For more information or to leave online condolences, please visit www.horberfuneralchapel.com.