Frank O’Connor is the Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus in Butte. That basically means he has to answer directly to Bernie Boyle and John Lappin.

Frank is probably better known for being the youngest of the late Eileen and William “Oakie” O’Connor’s six children. Most people even call him “Oakie,” just like they did with his dad.

The original “Oakie” O’Connor was a legendary Butte educator and host of Partyline on KBOW.

The O’Connor kids grew up on the Butte Hill, living on the corner of Caledonia and Alabama Streets, in the shadow of the Anselmo Mine.

They lived right across the street from the mine yard, and they may have even sneaked into the yard a time or two. If the statue of limitations has ran out on such a thing.

Frank is a proud McKinley Viking. He was also a West Junior High Buffalo before graduating from Butte High in 1988.

Along with his wife, Dorothy Joyce, Frank has a grown son and a grown daughter. He also has what he calls a “double brother-in-law” because his sister Helen is married to Dorothy’s brother, Bill Joyce.

In addition to his work with the KC, Frank works at Northwestern Energy. His career with the energy company followed a long career working at MSE in Butte, among other places.

Listen in to hear Frank talk about growing up in the O’Connor home and hear why he was the reason his brother Sean was good at wrestling.

Was Sean good at wrestling?

Listen as he talks about his parents, some of the kids from the old neighborhood and the large firecracker he somehow came across thanks to an alleged trip to the mine yard.

Listen as he talks about all the great work that is done at the KC.

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