Connor Corcoran

Connor Hart Corcoran, 3, went to be with our Lord on Sunday July 17, 2005. Connor was born on July 9, 2002 in Mountain Home, ID. He is survived by his parents Major Chuck and Kasey (Rector) Corcoran, and a younger sister, Grace Elizabeth. Connor was preceded in death by his Grandmother, Doris Hart Corcoran, and Aunt, Ellen Jane Corcoran. He was also preceded in death by his Great Grandfather, Joe Garrison, and his Grandfather, Nevin Dodd. Connor is also survived by his maternal Great Grandmother, Gertrude Garrison, Clarksdale, MS; Grandmother Donna Garrison: Aunts and Uncles Bert (Stacy) Rector; Megan (Chris) Perry, all of Columbus, MS; Connor is survived by his paternal Grandfather, John L. Corcoran, of Chillicothe, OH; Aunts and Uncles John (Cheri) Corcoran, Oxford, OH; Kathy (Brad) Sutter; Susan (Greg) Knight; Michael (Lana) Corcoran; all of Chillicothe, OH; Jody (Tom) Rittenhouse of Waverly, OH; Judy (Tony) Liles, Waxhaw, NC; David Corcoran; Peggy Corcoran; Joe (Michelle) Corcoran; Paul (Ceil) Corcoran; Nick (Mona) Corcoran; Janet Corcoran, Doug (Teresa) Corcoran and Angie (Aaron) Brown, all of Chillicothe, OH and many loving cousins and special friends. Connor was our little hero. He thoroughly enjoyed every minute he was on this earth. His favorite shoes were boots – bright red fireman boots to be exact…he wore them everywhere. His favorite color was blue and his favorite planet was Saturn…but Neptune was a close second since all his books say it's blue. His favorite food was pancakes and his favorite restaurant was Cracker Barrel because they had the best pancakes (other than his Daddy's) and they served them all day long! His favorite pastime was listening to his Mommy and Daddy read and his favorite store was Barnes & Noble because he could go there and partake in his favorite pastime for hours and hours. His first word was "ice" and "truck" was a close second. His word for alligator was "Ya Ya," windmills were "windills," squirrels were "queels," earlobes were "pinkies," and of course a one humped camel was a "dromedary" (Curios George taught him that one.) He told us he was bored by saying "I'm boring" and when he wanted cartoons he'd say, "I'm a little cartoonie." He loved airplanes, rocket ships, astronauts and anything to do with flying. He enjoyed going on adventures whether it was a simple trip to the grocery with his Mommy or a cross-country expedition to see his family in Mississippi or Ohio. He loved visiting the farm, feeding the cows and horses, riding the bulldozer with his Grandpa and riding the John Deere tractors with his uncles. He loved hats. Favorites included his Ohio State visor that said "Lil Buckeye", a baseball cap that said "My Grandpa Drives a John Deere," and a blue fleece hat he wore around all winter because it made him look like a bear. He was a fantastic chef. Early on his specialty was entrees, including a tasty mix he called "raisins, marshmallows and goldfish," but in his later years he enjoyed baking much, much more – especially anything chocolate (cakes, cookies, muffins, etc.) He enjoyed watching the Food Network. He thought Rachel Rae was pretty, and he loved to say "Bam" with Emeril. On one occasion, he asked his friend Banger, "Do you like low carb and lovin' it?" He was a patriot. He loved flags and fireworks and he always insisted he was born on the 4th of July. He loved policemen and firemen and would go to any length just to talk to them. He forced Mommy and Daddy to put his booster seat on the left side of the car so he could talk to the "nice policeman" every time he went through the Air Force base gate. Everyone who visited his house received an instant invitation: "Do you want to come to my room and play with me?" He was a big Ohio State fan. He loved to chant "Go Bucks!" at the top of his lungs. His Daddy taught him how to tackle shortly after he learned to walk (big mistake) and from that day on he tackled any and everything (except pregnant ladies and babies), which probably explains why he just couldn't wait for his little sister to a) be born and b) start walking. He was born a fighter pilot. He arrived on Tuesday and attended his first squadron roll call 3 days later in the 390th Fighter Squadron at Mountain Home Air Force Base. He quickly progressed to collecting squadron coins, wearing his flight jacket and patches and playing 1v1 crud games with "Mr. L.D." in the Edwards Air Force Base Officer's Club. At Langley Air Force Base he loved visiting Daddy's office at the 27th Fighter Squadron. He insisted on riding the elevator (by himself) to the second floor of the building. Once there he made sure no one walked on the squadron patch, pretended to make radio calls while sitting behind the ops desk, told stories from the stage of the main briefing room, wreaked havoc on more than many a computer and of course drew a lot of pictures on the boards. Of note, he was equally adept at briefing off either the chalk or dry erase boards. He would wear one of his Daddy's old helmets around the house with his backpack on pretending to be John Glenn. He insisted Mommy play the role of Annie (John's wife.) He would say, "Bye bye Annie, see you when I get back from work!" and then he would pretend to blast off in his rocket ship to a distant planet. His favorite clothes were his pajamas – rocket ship pajamas, Superman pajamas, construction truck pajamas, football jersey pajamas – which is quite ironic since the only thing he truly disliked was sleep. Looking back now, perhaps it's because he knew he wasn't going to be with us very long. When company arrived he would rush to get out the blender, help Daddy make a batch of margaritas and then bang his sippy cup together with every guest and shout "Cheers!" He loved music. Last Christmas he asked for a guitar and drum set and of course Santa delivered. He played both instruments well but for some reason he modified his guitar from 6 to 3 strings. Of all the wonderful memories, what we treasure the most are the conversations we had with Connor. Talking to him was like talking to someone with an adult mind but a child's heart, soul and innocence. A few days before he passed away he had one of those sweet conversations with his Mommy. He asked her, "Where is God's cloud?" Mommy said, "God doesn't have just one cloud, God is everywhere." Connor replied, "But I want to go to heaven and talk to Grandma Doris." Mommy said, "That's not how it works. When you go to heaven you aren't with Mommy and Daddy anymore and we would miss you. So, you just have to talk to Grandma Doris from wherever you are and she will hear you." Connor said, "Don't worry Mommy, I'll just go visit Grandma Doris. Angels will take me and bring me back." A special Memorial Service was held in celebration of Connor's life at sunrise on Tuesday, July 19, at the Virginia Air and Space Center in Hampton, VA. There will also be a Memorial Service held in Columbus, MS on Tuesday, July 26 at Annunciation Catholic Church. Friends may call at Haller Funeral Home, Chillicothe, OH, on Wednesday, July 20 from 4p.m. to 8p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, July 21, at St. Peter Catholic Church, Chillicothe Oh, at 12p.m., with the Rev. James P. Black officiating. Burial will follow at St. Margaret's Cemetery, Chillicothe, OH. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to The Connor Hart Corcoran Memorial Fund. The Memorial Fund will be utilized to refurbish Connor's favorite playgrounds at Langley Air Force Base, VA, Edwards Air Force Base, CA and Mountain Home Air Force Base, ID, to purchase copies of Connor's favorite books for libraries and hospitals on and near those bases, and to fund any other projects that would make young children smile. Account information: Make checks payable to CHCMF #1000038815816. Send checks to Suntrust Bank, c/o Mariah C. Williams, 57 Cedar Avenue, PO Box 65400, Langley Air Force Base, VA 23665.