Hugh Anthony O'Connor, formerly of West Palm Beach, Fla., and a senior special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms for 19 years, died unexpectedly July 22, 2018, at age 49.

The son of the late Hugh J. O'Connor, Jr. and Pamela M. O'Connor, he was born April 12, 1969, in Holyoke, Mass. Hugh began his career as a public servant volunteering for the Highland Mills Fire Co. while he attended Monroe-Woodbury High School in New York; he continued with the South Daytona and Volusia Co. fire services during college at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Throughout his distinguished career in law enforcement, he served with the Holly Hill PD; Daytona Beach PD; U.S. Border Patrol; INS, DOJ-OIG; and then joined the ATF in 1999. He was a certified explosives specialist/bomb technician, SRT medic, certified fire investigator, National Response Team Member and a firearms instructor.
Hugh volunteered for multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan for ATF as part of the Multinational Corps. Forensic lab for analyzing IEDs. Until his passing, Hugh was the ATF Certified Explosives Specialist Program Manager and Bomb Squad Commander. He earned a master’s degree in Forensic Science, Arson and Explosive Investigation at Oklahoma State University and a master’s degree in explosives technology from Missouri University S&T.

Huey was a beloved son, brother and stepfather. He was an avid motorcyclist, loved boating and enjoyed flying airplanes and helicopters. Hugh is survived by his mother Pamela; siblings Bridget and Matthew; former wife Anita Williams; and two stepdaughters Samantha and Victoria.

The family will hold a private memorial service following cremation. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to www.bombtechmemorial.org.

Ed M. Smith, Jr., 89, of Lilburn, Ga., and a founding ISEE member, passed on June 4, 2018. A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. June 23 at with a gathering from 2 - 4 p.m. at Wages and Sons, Lawrenceville Chapel.

Mr. Smith was preceded in death by his son Ed III, his parents Ed Sr. and Mrs. "Bill," his wife Lora, and his sisters, Jean Holman and Mary Ella Ackerly.

A 1948 graduate of Bass High, Ed joined his father’s construction company. He later became a highly regarded explosive specialist and consultant.

He is survived by his daughter Nancy Meek (Eric), his granddaughter Brenna Meek, his brother William B. Smith (Anne) and numerous nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, please send rocks. If you wish to contribute to Ed’s educational dreams for his granddaughter, checks can be made to Brenna Meek, PO Box 26, Lilburn, GA 30048.

Lee Graham, 74, of Hutchinson, Kan., died Sunday, April 22, 2018, at Wesley Medical Center, Wichita, Kan. He was born May 4, 1943, in Hays, Kan., to Harrison Keith and Ilis Fannie (McGuire) Graham.

Lee graduated from Hutchinson High School in 1961 and attended Hutchinson Community College. He served in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War. Lee inspected mines and retired from Hutchinson Community College, where he was in charge of the Mine Safety Program. Lee loved cars, was a member of the Corvette Club and enjoyed eating at Firehouse Café.

On Sept. 15, 1977, he married Linda Stover in Hutchinson. She died July 5, 2012.

Lee is survived by: nephews Vince Stover, Aliso Viejo, Calif., Michael Stover (Connie) and their sons, Ryan, Dylan, Sean, and Aidan, all of Oceanside, Calif.; sister-in-law, Josie Stover of Laguna Hills, Calif.; his beloved companion, Barkley; and many friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents and brother-in-law Robert Stover.

Cremation has taken place. Celebration of Life will be 2 p.m. Friday, April 27, 2018, at Elliott Mortuary, with Pastor Darryl Peterson officiating. Military honors will be conducted by the United States Navy Honor Guard. Following the service, friends and family are invited to gather at the Firehouse Café, 1824 E. 4th Avenue, Hutchinson, to share more memories of Lee.

Private family inurnment will take place at a later date in Fairlawn Burial Park, Hutchinson. Friends may sign the book from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, and 9 a.m. until service time Friday at Elliott Mortuary. Memorials may be made to the Hutchinson Animal Shelter, in care of Elliott Mortuary, 1219 N. Main, Hutchinson, KS 67501.

Mr. Adams, as he preferred to be called, was born on Aug. 4, 1947, in Waukesha, Wis., to LaVern and Martha Adams.

Growing up on the family dairy farm, he learned the value of hard work early on and maintained that ethic throughout each and every one of his 70 years on this earth. After enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he proudly served as a first line radio man in the Vietnam War, he returned to the University of Wisconsin in Oshkosh to obtain his Bachelor of Arts Degree in sociology.

After college graduation, Mr. Adams left the Midwest in search of the Colorado Rockies, eventually splitting his time between his Evergreen and Buckeye, Ariz., ventures. His entrepreneurial spirit led him into the construction business, where he started, grew and led a successful drilling and blasting company for 40-plus years throughout the West. Additionally, he followed his farm roots into another business, where he and his wife Mary Adams started Arizona Buffalo Co. and Adams Natural Meats.

Mr. Adams was many things to many people - a Vietnam vet, boss, blaster, bison rancher, avid runner, lover of fast cars, fisherman, hunter, son, brother, grandfather, father; and loving husband and best friend to his wife Mary. But above all, he was a great man.

A service to honor Mr. Adams will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, March 9, 2018, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 830 E. Plaza Circle, Litchfield Park, AZ 85340. At a future date, he will be honored for his service and laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.

Bryan Adams is survived by his wife, Mary Adams; his mother, Martha Adams; his brother, Jeff (Judy) Adams; sister Susan Schroeder; his children, Beth (Ryan) Moore and their two children Grady and Harlan; Melisa (Brian) Busse and their three children, Gabriella, Kendall and Maxwell; Amanda Moore and her four children, Jacob, Ayden, Alayna and Julea; Nicholas Turner and his three children, Blake, Dominic and Shayla; and Ashley (Michael) Herndon and their two children, Katelyn and Aubree; brothers-in-law Doug and Gary Smith; and sister-in-law Geraldine Terry.

The family asks that any donations to honor Mr. Adams be made to Mayo Clinic Cancer Research Program: www.mayo.edu/research/centers-programs/cancer-research/supporting-cancer-research.

Condolences for the family may be left at www.thompsonfuneralchapel.com.

Michael Ray Most, 64, Joplin, Mo., passed away at 12:52 a.m. Saturday, March 10, 2018.

Mike was born Feb. 5, 1954, in Ponca City, Okla., to the late Alfred Most and Ruby Link Most and resided in the Joplin area most of his life.

He attended Carthage (Mo.) High School and worked at Dyno Nobel, Inc., for many years, until he retired in 2012. He was a master craftsman knife maker and enjoyed fishing any time he could.

Mike is survived by his three children, Amanda Most Bierbaum and husband, Todd, DeFuniak Springs, Fla.; Zackary Most and husband, Diego, Okinawa, Japan; and Karli Most Fort and husband, Micah, Joplin. One grandson, Malachi, who was the apple of his eye; two sisters Jean Donoho, of Diamond, Mo., and Karen Dickinson, Tulsa, Okla.; and a host of nieces and nephews.

A time of visitation will be Thursday, March 15, from 5-7 p.m. at First Baptist Church, 631 South Garrison Avenue, Carthage.