West Hartford Man

Although he was raised in a supremely genteel and civilized household (and city), Brian O'Connell was a wild man in my eyes. The shock of untamed blond hair flowing behind him, the tie (if there was one) dangling like an errant jungle vine, the eager hunt for the next exciting new thing--all these were his distinctive characteristics. Yet in other ways Brian epitomized what was best about civilization, for he had an interest in every important aspect of human endeavor: music, technology, ethics, the law, history, politics, the Red Sox, video games, feline appreciation.

We will miss you, wild man, as you move beyond us to swing through the cosmos.

--Wendy Peek