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Mary O'Connor

Mary O'Connor (nee Hoggarth) was born on January 22,1932, in Kirkland Lake. She was one of three children of Louise and Bob Hoggarth. Her brother Bob resides in Victoria, BC, and her sister Eileen Cangiano in Oakville, Ontario. The Hoggarth Residence was located at 88 First Street. Mary's parents were the proprietors of Hoggarth Interiors. Happy summers were spent at the family cottage at Sesekinika Lake.

Mary attended school at Holy Name School and KLCVI. In 1950 she attended Nursing School at St. Michaels Hospital in Toronto. She graduated in 1953.

Upon returning to Kirkland Lake in 1953, Mary married Gerry O'Connor. Mary and Gerry were co-owners of Hoggarth Interiors. They had 6 children: Michael, Patrick, Kathleen, Sean, Timothy and Maryann. The family resided at 74 Poplar Ave for their married life. Mary now resides at Teck Pioneer Residence. She has 13 grandchildren.

Mary was often asked, "Why would you have six kids?" and she would reply, "When we had five children, we felt it wasn't balanced with four boys and only one girl, so our sixth child, Maryann was adopted."

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As if raising six children and running a store were not enough, Mary took an interest in education. She served as a Trustee for the Kirkland and District Separate School Board for 42 years. This led to her becoming the First Woman President of the Ontario Separate School Trustees Association and to her becoming a Paul Harris Award winner in 1992.

She is also a Past Director of the Canadian Catholic School Trustees Association and a Past Chair of the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines Northern Ontario Development Council. In her retirement Mary has explored her love of music and has been an active member of the local Interlink Intergenerational Choir.

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Mary O'Connor at Interlink Choir Performance
Circa 2011
Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada


Credits:
Image loaned from MNH Auxiliary (Women of Kirkland Lake 2012 Exhibit)

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Interlink Choir - Newspaper Article
May 2003
Northern College


Credits:
Image loaned from MNH Auxiliary (Women of Kirkland Lake 2012 Exhibit)
Original image from Northern Daily News

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Sean, Mary's fourth child, is now the proud owner and operator of Hoggarth Interiors. He recalls the family's joyful times at Crystal Lake and Butler Lake. His favorite memory of his Mother is her passion for Saturday shopping in Kirkland Lake; with the kids in tow they would venture from store to store and at the end of the day would take them all for a drink at Kresge's lunch counter.