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James William O’Hear
James O’Hear of Sag Harbor died on September 12 at the Hamptons Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing in Southampton. He was 86.
Mr. O’Hear, known to many as “Red,” was born in Sag Harbor to Ralph and Elizabeth O’Hear on August 9, 1928. He graduated from Pierson High School and served two tours of duty in the United States Marine Corps. He earned his associate’s degree in design at Farmingdale Agricultural College. After his military service, he worked at Agawam, which later became Plant 32 of Grumman Aerospace in Sag Harbor. He was proud to have been a part of the development of the lunar module and would always point out what the module did in saving the astronauts on Apollo 13. He also worked for Grumman in Calverton and Bethpage. His last employment before retirement was as a production cost estimator at Shaw Aero Devices in East Hampton. He loved aeronautics, and whenever a plane went overhead, he would know the make and model.
Survivors said Mr. O’Hear possessed a true Irish wit and was rarely seen in Sag Harbor without a Yankee cap on his head. He and his wife, Betty, loved their yearly trips to Maine, going to many baseball games, and taking trips to the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. He was a voracious reader, spending a lot of time at John Jermain Library. Upon retirement, he started his own wood/furniture restoration business, which included redoing a great deal of furniture at the library. But most of all, he loved the sea. Survivors said he truly lived for his daily swims at Long Beach.
Mr. O’Hear is survived by his wife of 60 years, Elizabeth; and his daughter and son-in-law, Patrice and Martin Robinson of Hampton Bays.
No services are planned, but the family will be hosting a memorial celebration in the fall. Memorial donations may be made to the John Jermain Library, 201 Main Street, Sag Harbor, NY 11963. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the J. Ronald Scott Funeral Home in Hampton Bays.
on Sep 15, 2014