WILTON O’Conor to present World War II book Thursday

WILTON, N.Y. » Author Ray O’Conor will discuss his book, “She Called Him Raymond: A True Story of Love, Loss, Faith and Healing,” at 1 p.m. Thursday at The Summit at Saratoga, 1 Perry Rd. in Wilton.

The program is free and open to the public and light refreshments will be served.

However, seating is limited. Reservations may be made by calling (518) 4302136, or emailing rebeccad@summitsaratoga.com.

In his book, O’Conor tells the heartwarming true story of the secret love that his mother, Helen Gregg, the daughter of Irish immigrant parents raised in the miseries of Hell’s Kitchen during the Great Depression, had for Clarence Raymond Stephenson, an aspiring pilot from the struggling city of Ironton, Ohio, who perished in a plane crash during a World War II mission.

“Fate brought them together in New York City’s Central Park in 1942,” said O’Conor, noting that Stephenson was in New York training as an Army Air Corps pilot at Long Island’s Mitchell Field. “From the moment their eyes met, they knew their lives would never be the same.

“This captivating story tells of their struggles and romance, his heroic exploits as a B-17 pilot, and the tragedy that tore them apart. It is a lesson about faith, a love that could never die, and about a promise that had to be kept, no matter how long or how hard it might be to fulfill.”

O’Conor, a Wilton resident, is working on a screenplay adaptation of the book.

He left his career as CEO of Saratoga National Bank & Trust Company to begin the book’s research. He previously worked as a special agent with the United States Department of Defense and as an agent with the U.S. Border Patrol.

Copies of the book will be available for sale.