By Rebecca Goodman
The Cincinnati Enquirer

SOUTHGATE - Neal Connor would never have taken credit for the success of the basketball players he coached in high school. But like all good coaches, he was there for them.

"He really loved his basketball players," said his son Mick of Monfort Heights. "That's what he lived for, basically."

Mr. Connor, a teacher and Greater Catholic League basketball coach for 22 years, died Saturday at St. Luke Hospital after a long battle with cancer. The Southgate resident was 75.

He coached varsity basketball at Roger Bacon High School from 1959 until 1965 and at Purcell High School - where he was also athletic director - from 1965 until 1982.

Mr. Connor continued as athletic director at Purcell - which became Purcell Marian High School in 1981 - until his retirement in 1984.

"He taught a variety of subjects here, and he was one of the teachers that whatever the school needed, he did," said Terry Meinking, Purcell's head wrestling coach for 27 years. "But his big thing was the 1969 team with Derek Dickey."

Mr. Connor coached Dickey - who went on to play at the University of Cincinnati and in the NBA - at Purcell.

He also coached Roger Bacon's Steve Thomas, who went on to set a scoring record at Xavier University.

Mr. Connor played basketball and baseball at Villa Madonna College (now Thomas More College) and was a minor-league shortstop for the Red Sox and the Cardinals.

He received bachelor's and master's degrees in education from Villa Madonna.

Mr. Connor was a sergeant with the Marine Corps during the Korean War.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Margaret Keller Connor, in 1999 and a granddaughter, Olivia Connor, in 1994.

In addition to his son Mick, survivors include: another son, Neal Connor Jr. of Newport; a sister, Jean Connor of Southgate; and six grandchildren.

Mass of Christian burial is at 10 a.m. today at Holy Spirit Church, 825 Washington Ave. in Newport. Burial is at St. Stephen Cemetery in Fort Thomas.

Memorials: Purcell Marian High School, 2935 Hackberry St., Cincinnati 45206; or Big Brothers/Big Sisters Association of Cincinnati, 8212 Blue Ash Road, Cincinnati 45236.

E-mail rgoodman@enquirer.com