In this episode, host, Gabe Schauf, talks with Kevin O’Connor, author of Two Floors Above Grief.  Kevin shares his inspiration for the book he wrote about growing up in his family’s funeral home in Elgin, Illinois. 

Kevin reflects on his upbringing in a funeral home owned by his uncle and father, discussing how it influenced his perspective on life and death. Despite the funeral home environment, he pursued a career in education, becoming a teacher, principal, and curriculum designer.

Suppressing one's identity is challenging and emotionally taxing, often leading to internal conflict and emotional distress! If this resonates with you, what should you do? Join Kamie as she delves into Kevin O'Connor's journey of navigating his grief while coming out as a gay man. By sharing his experiences, Kevin offers hope and encouragement to others who may be on similar paths of self-discovery and acceptance! Stay tuned!

Set from the 1920s to ‘80s, Two Floors Above Grief is full of fascinating details and anecdotes about life as a funeral home child, brought to vivid life through a compelling collection of letters written by O’Connor and various family members who lived and worked together at the O’Connor Funeral Home in Elgin, Illinois. Blending the twenty-four-hour business of death and its constantly ringing phone with the joy experienced by his families through music, pets, backyard basketball games, co-parenting, faith, and celebrations, O’Connor offers a reflective love letter to the affirmation of family love and embracing life.

In the realm of grief and personal transformation, the concept of “Transforming Grief into Legacy” offers a profound perspective. The “Grief 2 Growth” podcast illuminates this transformative journey in an episode featuring Kevin O’Connor, whose life story exemplifies how grief can profoundly shape and enrich one’s legacy.

Kevin published Two Floors Above Grief in 2022; his prior writings include personal letters, dissertations, articles, and anthologies, and he provides training at universities and professional settings. Kevin resides in Fort Lauderdale with his husband, Leon, and their family includes five sons and seven granddaughters.

Join Lisa and Kevin as they dive into the fascinating details and anecdotes of his upbringing, and explore the themes of grief, family, and legacy that are woven throughout the book. Whether you're a funeral professional or simply interested in exploring the rich history of funeral homes, this episode is not to be missed

Aren't you scared living in a funeral home? Author, Kevin O'Connor stops by the show to talk about how growing surrounded by death impacted his life but also about how looking back through letters can help us understand our ancestors better.

Life’s precious moments emerge from the dance between joy and grief, proving that even two floors above, we’re never alone. Join us on a heartfelt journey through the pages of life, grief, and the enduring bonds that shape us. Our special guest, Kevin O’Connor, former educator and author of the book “Two Floors Above the Grief,” shares the tales of growing up above a funeral home, offering a unique perspective on death, life, and the wisdom passed down from one generation to the next. Kevin explores the complexity of grief not only from the perspective of grieving families but also from the eyes of the funeral home director’s family. Through the experiences and valuable lessons he shares, Kevin shows how grief journey is not linear; it’s an ever-evolving process. Tune in now and remember that through life and loss, we are never truly alone.

Throughout this episode, Kevin shares his experience growing up as the son of an undertaker and living in an apartment above a funeral home. He also shares the importance of sending personalized messages to loved ones going through grief. Additionally, you’ll hear about the importance of embracing emotions that come with grief and processing them in a healthy way.

Explore Kevin O'Connor's inspiring journey, from writing to LGBTQ+ advocacy. Discover the power of authenticity in this podcast episode.

Fine is a 4-Letter Word – and in 1971, being gay was not considered “fine”. In a moment, when you meet Kevin, you will discover his extraordinary journey of coming out to his first wife, his second wife, his father, and his sons. And then what inspired him to come out publicly at 55 years old and the impact it had on all his relationships, including and especially the one with himself. This is a story about inclusivity, acceptance, self-discovery, and navigating the waters of society you cannot miss – tune in now and you may find yourself seeing a new point of view.

In addition to writing and publishing Two Floors Above Grief, Kevin O’Connor enjoys chronicling the stories of families and friends through tracing genealogical histories, writing and picture collections.

His prior writing includes personal letters, articles in professional publications, dissertation, anthologies and presentations delivered at conferences, seminars and webinars. He brings people together personally and professionally. Collaborating with friends and relatives, he plans family and class reunions.

You’re going to learn in the memoir how Kevin came out as gay to his father and the tremendous support his father showed him in a generation where it was not safe to come out. Kirkus review called it “a warm and sincere family history." You are going to see the courage that Kevin displayed when he came out to both of his wives as gay and also his two beautiful sons who are now adults. You will see how he met his life partner and now his husband Leon. Kevin is living his best, authentic life. You will also see how he has made community efforts and had a voice for the LGBTQ industry and has written several programs for them and has been a life coach for many of them.

This week Gavin is gay for flowers, David apologizes to our listener, we rank the top 3 things that were true when we were kids that are no longer true, and this week our extra special guest judge is author and GILF Kevin O'Connor, who talks to us about growing up in a funeral home, what being straight in San Francisco in the 80's was like, and why he thinks parenting is like "poopy balloons."

From coming out to losing people in life, grief is part of he equation. Yet you an rise above grief and move forward, if you choose. Helping us unpack the grief of coming out and moving on is author Kevin O'Connor who learned a lot about grief living two floors above it in his family's funeral business. These experiences helped him navigate is way forward through lose, life, and finally coming out of the closet after two marriages.

In previous episodes, we discussed the importance of coming out, which is a deeply personal and pivotal moment for LGBTQ+ individuals. And while living openly can empower us to be our authentic selves, a number of complex factors can keep us in the closet. In this episode, author, public speaker, and former teacher Kevin O’Connor joins us to discuss his personal journey out of marriage to embrace his sexuality at 55 and live authentically as a gay man. 

Kevin is the author of Two Floors above Grief. His career spans over fifty years as a writer, teacher, principal, curriculum designer, and university instructor. He authors content and provides training in mathematics instruction, principal leadership, support for substitute teachers, LGBTQ advocacy, Sexual Health/Family Life, self-publishing, and marketing. He sings and performs in theaters. He is active with SMART Ride, a bicycling group that raises funds for HIV awareness, treatment, and education. He resides in Ft. Lauderdale with his husband, Leon. Their family includes five sons and seven granddaughters.

Kevin O’Connor is a former educator turned author and grief navigator who grew up above a funeral home. His book Two Floors Above Grief documents his life and the lessons he learned during that time from cleaning the chapel to the death of a close friend as a child.  

Kevin O’Connor is the author of “Two Floors Above Grief.” The book chronicles his experiences as the son and nephew of funeral directors while living in a Victorian house built in 1860s. He has had a 50 year career in education at the K-12 and college level in three states, with presentations made in more than a dozen states. He and his husband Leon are parents to five sons and grandparents to seven granddaughters.

My author interview with memoir writer Kevin O’Connor in the Writers on Their Writing Process series was very fascinating as we discussed his memoir that began as 700 letters written from family members.

Kevin is an accomplished storyteller and genealogist dedicated to preserving family histories through writing and picture collections. His extensive career in education, spanning nearly five decades, included roles as a teacher, principal, professor, and curriculum coordinator in various states.

Kevin O’Connor, author of the Amazon best-seller Two Floors Above Grief, has captivated readers in categories such as Teens/Young Adults, Parenting, Family Relationships, Death/Grief, and Biographies/Memoirs. Through his social media presence @thegriefnavigator, Kevin provides invaluable resources to those navigating their grief journey. 

In this episode of The Teaching Journeys Podcast, host Dave Roberts engages in a heartfelt conversation with Kevin O'Connor, author of 'Two Floors Above Grief.' Kevin shares insights from his extensive background in genealogy, teaching, theater, and his work in HIV awareness, with a focus on his family’s history in the funeral business. He discusses how growing up in a funeral home shaped his perspectives on life, death, and grief. The episode also delves into the importance of written communication, handling grief through storytelling, and the celestial connections experienced during times of loss. Tune in to explore the intersection of personal history and professional legacy in the context of grief and community service.

In this episode, host Aaron Apollo Camp interviews Kevin O'Connor. Kevin, a retired educator who grew up in an apartment above a funeral home, is the author of the memoir Two Floors Above Grief.

Author and speaker Kevin O'Connor discusses using family letters dated all the way back to the 1930s in his book Two Floors Above Grief and why you should consider keeping them too.

Initiating open conversations about sexual health with kids is an essential and empowering aspect of parenting! Join Heather as she speaks with Kevin O'Connor about the compelling reasons behind the advocacy for open communication on sexual health within the family unit. These discussions enhance children's overall well-being and foster a heightened awareness as they navigate adulthood! Stay tuned!

Kevin O’Connor has been a writer most of his life. After all, you don’t earn a Ph.D. without developing some serious writing abilities. Now in his 70s, Kevin desired to open up another creative channel. He recently published Two Floors Above Grief, adding yet one more venture to his impressive resume, and he is planning more books. We talked with him about his journey from growing up in the family funeral business through his career as an educator and speaker, and coming back to the insights of the role of funeral professionals in helping people manage grief.

Kevin O’Connor's prior writing includes a dissertation, personal letters, articles in professional publications, anthologies, and presentations delivered at conferences, seminars, and webinars. He enjoys chronicling the stories of families and friends through genealogical histories.

Join Brad and Mike as they speak with Kevin O’Connor, author of Two Floors Above Grief. Kevin's memoir of growing up above his family funeral home. So many similarities between Kevin’s time growing up with not only his family but his aunt, uncle and cousins.

What is Kevin's unique family business? How did Kevin's family's letter-writing help him uncover his family history?
What are the key benefits of creating a book about your family history? What advice does Kevin offer to individuals who possess a collection of letters? And much more!

What unique challenges and responsibilities come with running a funeral home as a family business? How important is maintaining a positive mindset when embarking on a business venture? What lessons can be learned from these families that can be applied to other types of family businesses or professions? How did their perspective on life and death develop as they were surrounded by the funeral home environment from a young age? And much more!

Today, I have the pleasure of chatting with Kevin O'Connor, the author of Two Stories Above Grief. In this episode of Coach's Corner, we get to talk about his book, his family history, and why getting his book to be an Amazon #1 best-seller is so important.

 In this episode of The Question Guy, we get to talk about his book, his family history, and why getting his book to be an Amazon #1 best-seller is so important.

When I met Kevin O’Connor in my book-writing program, I instantly knew he was going to add great energy to our group of future authors. It was no surprise when he not only reached his goal of publishing his book, Two Floors Above Grief, but also leaned fully into marketing, garnering nearly 100 reader reviews on Amazon—an impressive feat for any author!