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Hugh Edward Ralph O'Connor
April 6, 1962
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I'll never forget walking down the stairs the morning of March 29, 1995. I walked into my parent's room just in time to say bye to dad as he left for work. Mom was watching CBS This Morning, when all of a sudden, I heard them say Hugh was dead. I stood there speechless, and I can still remember my Mom's words. "We weren't gonna tell you on your birthday". This was not the way I intended to start out my 18th birthday. I had such a nice day hanging out with Mom. Out for lunch, a trip to the music store, we had a lot of fun. But all day long, my mind kept drifting back to the fact that Hugh was gone. I felt a great loss that day, that of the loss of a friend. Later that day, as we walked into a department store, Mom wanted to do some shopping for herself, so we went our seperate ways. I walked to the electronics department to check out the TVs, and they were all showing In The Heat Of The Night. I walked over just in time for a long scene with Hugh. As I watched it, I started to tear up and just kept saying to myself, "I can't believe he's gone".
I remember when I was in the 10th grade, we had a long-term project in math class, when we were learning to manage money. The project was that we would each pick a career, whether or not we were married and what kind of car we had. I chose to be a single cop with a red Corvette convertible. Just like Hugh's character on In The Heat Of The Night. And I'm happy to say that I got an "A" on the project.
His initials spelled "HERO", and a hero he was to many. I'm sure that wherever Hugh is, he's looking down with a huge smile on his face, knowing how many people down here still miss him and will always carry on his memory.
Maybe this song by Michael W. Smith can say it best:
Packing up the dreams of God planted
And friends are friends forever
With the faith and love God's given
And friends are friends forever
And friends are friends forever
No, a lifetime's not too long to live as friends
FRIENDS
In the fertile soil of you
Can't believe the hopes He's granted
Means a chapter in your life is through
But we'll keep you close as always
It won't even seem you've gone
'Cause our hearts in big and small ways
Will keep the love that keeps us strong
If the Lord's the Lord of them
And a friend will not say "never"
Cause the welcome will not end
Though it's hard to let you go
In the Father's hands we know
That a lifetime's not too long to live as friends
Springing from the hope we know
We will pray the joy you'll live in
Is the strength that now you show
But we'll keep you close as always
It won't even seem you've gone
'Cause our hearts in big and small ways
Will keep the love that keeps us strong
If the Lord's the Lord of them
And a friend will not say "never"
Cause the welcome will not end
Though it's hard to let you go
In the Father's hands we know
That a lifetime's not too long to live as friends
If the Lord's the Lord of them
And a friend will not say "never"
Cause the welcome will not end
Though it's hard to let you go
In the Father's hands we know
That a lifetime's not too long to live as friends
Biography - Filmography - Pictures - Carroll's Book - "TV Guide" Covers
Carroll O'Connor's Classics - Write Carroll - The Gift - Guestbook - Links
All In The Family - Archie Bunker's Place - In The Heat Of The Night
A Tribute