Pete Connors

Pete Connors

Age 73, passed away on February 6, 2022 surrounded by family at Regions Hospital. Pete was a prolific prosecutor and athlete, with notable successes in each field. Preceded in death by his parents Geraldine Doar Young (William Young) and Peter Connors, sister Sally Connors, and stepdaughter Angela Hannon. Survived by his wife Kathy Connors; nephew David Connors (Michelle); stepchildren Kate Ostbye (Brent) and Patrick Hannon (Meghan); grandchildren Will, Keira, Harlan, Briggs, Charlotte, and Adler; and many dear friends.

Pete was born in Amery, WI to Geraldine Doar and Pete Connors. He grew up in Deer Park and Range, WI in his younger years. His parents moved to St. Paul around the age of 9 years old. Pete spent many summers living with his aunt, uncle, and cousins in Somerset, WI. Growing up in Saint Paul’s Frogtown, he loved playing pickup hockey at local neighborhood rinks. Making his own hockey sticks is a favorite memory that Pete shared. He attended St. Agnes High School and graduated in 1966. Pete would later look back at his time at Saint Agnes as a pivotal turning point in his life. Pete made many lifelong friendships at Saint Agnes and loved to reminisce with his high school friends about their lasting memories growing up together. He played football and basketball and was inducted into the St. Agnes Hall of Fame in 2009.

Pete attended St. Thomas College in 1966. He was on the football team and met his long time friend Michael Crnobrna and Marilyn Baeker and many others.

Pete attended and graduated from William Mitchell Law School. He became a law clerk at the Hennepin County Attorney's Office, which eventually led to an internship there. In 1975, Pete was hired as a prosecutor in Hennepin County. For the next 37 years, Pete would work in a variety of divisions with his most notable work coming in adult prosecution. Pete was passionate in his career, always keeping justice as the guiding principle in everything he did.

Pete’s passion for sports would continue into his adult years. He would play competitive basketball, broomball, and softball into his sixties. And at the age of 27, Pete was introduced to competitive rugby where he would make even more lasting friendships and memories. He played 24 years of rugby, a total of over 1,000 games in which he scored over 300 tries. He was inducted into the Metropolis Rugby Hall of Fame in 2002.

Pete was an avid traveler. He and his first wife Jackie went to Europe and North Africa in the spring of 1973 and stayed for one year traveling in a Volkswagen van. Pete traveled to over 86 countries spanning six continents. Unfortunately, he never made it to Antarctica, which was one of his last desired destinations.

In 1994, Pete’s life would take a dramatic change with him serving as the primary parent of his nephew, David. Shortly thereafter, Pete's family would continue to grow when he started dating Kathy Hannon Connors. Angela (Hannon), Kate Ostbye (Brent), and Patrick (Hannon), would become a huge part of Pete’s life. In 2002, Pete made it official and married Kathy Hannon Connors in Ireland. Travel would continue to play a major theme in Pete’s life with his many adventures with Kathy, as well as many memorable family adventures. Their family would continue to grow with the addition of grandchildren. Pete loved playing and spending time with his grandchildren who will sorely miss him. Pete and Kathy together would transform the lives of their blended family. The last 25 plus years is where Pete made some of his greatest accomplishments as a family man sharing many memorable moments with family and friends

A visitation will be held from 5:00- 8:00 PM Friday, March 11, 2022 and 10:00-11:00 AM Saturday, March 12, 2022, followed by a memorial service and luncheon at 11:00 AM Saturday, March 12, 2022 at the Bradshaw Funeral Home in Stillwater, MN. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred by the family to establish a St. Agnes HS Scholarship Fund in Pete’s memory.