Mary Christine (Chris) O’Connor died peacefully in her home in Bozeman, Mont., on March 31, 2026, with her three daughters present. She was 83. Born in Boston, Mass., on December 3, 1942, Chris was the oldest of five siblings. Her parents, both children of Irish immigrants, were D. Vincent O’Connor and Gertrude (Gleason) O’Connor. The family lived several places in New England before settling in Williamstown, Mass., a small town in the Berkshires.
As both parents worked to provide for their large family, Chris was tasked with caring for her four younger siblings: Cornelia, David, Gorgon and Robert. The five of them stayed close all their lives, and Chris’s role as caretaker expanded into a lifetime of helping others—as a mother, grandmother and mentor to many. Her home was always the hub for family gatherings, where everyone looked forward to her cooking and her conversation—the place to go for career advice or current events with a side of blueberry cobbler.
After graduating from Williamstown High School in 1960, Chris was awarded a scholarship to UMass Amherst. Then, for her sophomore year, Chris became one of the first women allowed to attend Williams College as a full-time student. (She was one of two that year; Williams was not yet conferring degrees to women, and it would be almost another decade before women were officially allowed to attend in 1969.)
While at Williams, Chris met and married fellow student James (Jim) Falvey and had their first daughter, Jessica (Jes), in 1963. Chris completed her last two years of college at the University of Connecticut, and the couple moved to Michigan for graduate school. Chris had their second daughter, Megan, in 1967, while also earning a PhD in social psychology from Michigan State University. The couple separated in 1970 and Jim moved to Montana, taking a job at the Department of Natural Resources. After her divorce from Jim, Chris married (and later divorced) Bill Terry, and they had a daughter, Katharine (Kate), in 1976.
Chris was hired out of grad school as an assistant professor in the psychology department at Grand Valley State University in Michigan. She would go on to build a successful academic career there while raising her three daughters (and caring for her aging parents) in nearby Grand Haven, Mich. She became a full professor and taught psychology at Grand Valley State for more than three decades, inspiring and encouraging scores of students along the way. A phased retirement allowed her to move to Bozeman in the early 2000s to be close to her daughters and grandchildren, and when she retired fully, she was honored with the status of professor emerita.
As a retiree, Chris continued to help others grow personally and academically. Together with others, she helped develop the Wonderlust program (now the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) at Montana State University and taught several Wonderlust courses. She also especially enjoyed her work with school-age children through Bienvenidos, a mentorship program for Spanish-speaking newcomers to the Gallatin Valley.
Chris was an avid hiker and could be seen daily with her dog, Paco, on the trails of Bozeman. She is survived by three of her four siblings, Cornelia, David and Bob; her three daughters, Jes, Megan and Kate; three grandchildren, Niko, Helen and Gannon; and nieces Aislinn and Nisan and their children. Chris was also supported by remarkable friends including Sally, Ellen, Margaret and David.
A private Memorial Service will be held at a future date.
Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service. www.dokkennelson.com [dokkennelson.com]
