Richard L. O’Connor, the Emmy-winning producer and longtime production executive behind major studio and TV longform credits, has died at 96. His family said he died July 22, 2026, in Palm Desert, California. A funeral mass is set for 1 p.m. Aug. 8 at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Mendocino. Memorial donations may go to the Motion Picture & Television Fund or the Marine Corps League Foundation.
The Emmy that put his name on the plaque
Per the Television Academy, O’Connor won the 1990 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Children’s Program as producer of NBC’s A Mother’s Courage: The Mary Thomas Story, starring Alfre Woodard. He also carried a 1985 nomination for Outstanding Drama/Comedy Special (NBC).
That children’s Emmy is the clean career headline. The rest of the résumé is the quieter job that keeps movies and miniseries standing: logistics, budgets, and production executive muscle.
Feature credits that still circulate
As executive in charge of production (and related production-executive roles), O’Connor’s feature slate includes titles audiences still rewatch:
| Film | Year | Role (career reports / databases) |
|---|---|---|
| *Across 110th Street* | 1972 | Executive in charge of production |
| *Hickey & Boggs* | 1972 | Executive in charge of production |
| *The Muppet Movie* | 1979 | Executive in charge of production |
| *On Golden Pond* | 1981 | Executive in charge of production |
| *Raise the Titanic* |
