Mary Ellen O'Connor

Mary Ellen O’Connor of Grants and Placitas, New Mexico, died peacefully on Monday, February 21, 2022. She was born in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, on September 16, 1945, to parents Elizabeth J. and Kenneth D. McCloskey.

Mary Ellen graduated from Bald Eagle Nittany High School. In the 1960s she married Kenneth O’Connor and together they raised over 50 head of horses at the K-Twice Ranch in Pennsylvania. In the 1970s she moved with her husband Kenneth and two children Rachel and Benjamin to New Mexico. Mary Ellen founded Red Rock Stables and became the first certified riding instructor in New Mexico. She also completed her degree in Library Science at the University of New Mexico and began a second career as an artist. She had a profound curiosity and love of intellectual learning that lasted her whole life. She read and studied all the classical literature. Mary Ellen loved New Mexico and its natural beauty.

Her greatest love was her family, and she devoted her life to being a dedicated wife and mother.

She is survived by her loving husband: Ken, to whom she was married for 58 years; She is also survived by her daughter: Rachel Lee O'Connor; son: Benjamin Keith O’Connor and his wife Candace; and granddaughter: Lily Dale; and siblings: Vickie Richards (McCloskey), Kenneth McCloskey Jr., Karol and Dick Bowman (McCloskey) and Keith McCloskey. A service and life celebration will be held on March 26, 2022 at the home of Vickie Richards. For more information or to attend please contact Rachel O’Connor at (505) 917-1131.

Donations can be made to the Gynecological Cancer Awareness Project at thegcap.org.