Carl Matthew Connor's Obituary
Carl Connor, 100, of Columbia, passed from this life to the next on Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at the Terrace Retirement Center in Columbia. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 Am Tuesday, September 6, 2011 at Paseo Baptist Church in Kansas City, Mo. with burial in Memorial Park Cemetery in Columbia, Mo. Visitation will be from Monday , September 5, 2011 from 5-7 PM at the H.T. May and Son Funeral Home in Columbia and from 10-11 AM Tuesday at the church.
Carl Connor was born on January 20, 1911 to Minor and Elzabeth Connor, he was the youngest of four children, William, Estelle, Orey and Carl.
Carl accepted Christ as his personal savior while in high school and joined the second baptist church.He had many familial connections in the second Baptist Church. His father was the church treasurer and served on the Deacon and Trustee Boards. His mother was active in the church choirs, his sister Estelle was the Sunday School Superintendant and a member of the church choir. She also served offices statewide with the Women’s Mission Circle. Her husband Riley was a minister, a deacon and trustee at Second Baptist Church. Carl was an active member of the Sunday School and he and his wife Octavia remained loyal member unti they moved from the Columbia area. In Kansas City the Connors joined Paseo Baptist Church and he served as a Deacon and Trustee until he moved back to Columbia, Mo. with his wife Octavia. Carl and Octavia (his college sweetheart were married almost 70 years.
Mr. Connor graduated from Douglass High School in 1929 and received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Lincoln University in Jefferson City , MO., in 1934. He received his Master of Arts Degree from Indiana State Teachers College in Terre Haute, IN., in 1949. His post graduate studies were done at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo.
Mr. Connor began his professional career in Columbia, MO. in the Adult Education Department. He was later employed by the Hayti, Mo. Board of Education, he served as principal and developed a four year high school for African American students. He was later employed in Boonville, MO. as a principal at Charles Sumner and coached both the boys and girls basketball teams. After working there for 11 years Mr. Connor was employed by the Kansas City Missouri School System. He held several positions, teacher, vice-principal Central and Southwest High Schools, Community agent in the department of Human Relations, Administration in Bingham Junior High School and Director of Career Opportunity programs.
After retirement, he was affiliated with the Missouri Negro High School Association and was made honorary Principal. He was received many awards and certificates from several cities throughout the state of Missouri. While Mr. Connor was a student at Lincoln University he served on the Board that named the present day student newspaper. He was also one of the three award recipients in 2009 for the Dr. Martin Luther King Award in Columbia, Mo.,
He received many honors during his career, most notably an award for naming the student newspaper at Lincoln University, a certificate of appreciation frm the Mayor of Kansas City, Mo. for his work in the African-American community. He received a key to the city of Boonville from the Mayor, certificates and plaques frm the alumnia of Sumner School of Boonville, Mo., and a plaque from the State General Assembly of Missouri for his work in Education.
Carl was married to Octavia Bracy in 1935.
Carl had memberships in several organizations, including Lincoln University Alumnia, Indiana State University Alumni, Frontiers International and the Schoolmasters Club(Retired Kansas City School District Administrators). He was a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.
He was preceded in death by his wife, his parents, one sister Estelle Taylor(Raleigh) two brothers William Connor(Wava Lee) and Oree Connor.
He leaves to cherish his memory his cousins Charles Allen(Carolyn) of Columbia, Mo., Phillip Morris , Jacqueline Shackleford both of Kansas City, Mo., a niece-in-law Doris Connor of Kansas City, Mo., a great-nephew Ron Fox of Hollywood, FL., other cousins, friends and former students whom he called his kids.
In Lieu of flowers memorial contributions are suggested to the Lincoln University Scholarship Fund.
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