WILMINGTON, N.C. – Jerome Francis (Jerry) Connor, 81, of Wilmington, N.C., died Friday, June 27, at New Hanover Regional Medical Center.

He was born in Augusta, on Jan. 28, 1927, the son of the late Harry Daniel Connor and Margaret Gahagan Connor. Shortly thereafter, the family moved to Lewiston, where he grew up. As a youth, he enjoyed many athletic activities, including boxing, hockey and football.

He left high school early at the age of 17 to serve his country during World War II. He served in the U.S. Maritime Service and sailed on the S.S. Duke Victory in the Pacific. After the war, he returned to Auburn, where he graduated from Edward Little High School in 1947.

After high school, he attended Portland Junior College to pursue a career in journalism. He went on to obtain a bachelor’s degree from Boston University’s School of Public Relations, where he graduated Cum Laude in 1954. While at Boston University, he was named an Abbott Fellow, was elected to Kappa Tau Alpha National Honorary Journalism Fraternity and was vice-president of Tau Delta Phi Fraternity.

He served as a reporter for the Lewiston Evening Journal, wrote feature stories for several Boston newspapers and had articles published in a number of national magazines, including the Catholic Digest.

As a young man, he was very active politically. He served as the president of the Young Democrats of Lewiston. He was later appointed to the staff of Senator Frederick Payne (R) of Maine in Washington, D.C. Deciding to pursue a career in law, he took courses at George Washington and Georgetown Universities. He received a law degree from Georgetown University in 1959, and passed the Virginia Bar that same year.

He then went to work as an attorney for the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, D.C. He moved to Winston-Salem, N.C. in 1965, where he continued to work for the N.L.R.B., until his retirement. He was very proud of the fact that, as an attorney working in the labor relations field, he devoted much of his career to defending the rights of working men and women.

In 1997, he moved from Winston-Salem to Wilmington, N.C., to be closer to his family. He was a devoted father and grandfather who loved to spend time with his family. He was affectionately known as “Pepaw” by his grandchildren and many others. His hobbies included travel, swimming, reading philosophy and listening to jazz.

Surviving are his ex-wife and close friend, Carolyn, son, Michael and his wife, Linda and two grandchildren, Chelsea and Sean, all of Wilmington; a brother, Harry L. Connor of Old Saybrook, Conn.; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Remembered are his sister, Margaret and brother, Kenneth, who predeceased him.