Widow of former state trooper urges lawmakers to approve surviving-spouse retirement allowance

Felicia O'Connor told the Joint Committee on Public Service on May 7 that she is petitioning for a surviving-spouse retirement allowance under House Bill 2 886 after her husband, former Massachusetts State Police Sergeant John "Jack" O'Connor, developed diabetes and later died following injuries sustained in the line of duty.

O'Connor described her husband’s long medical history: he was shot while executing a search warrant in 1981, developed insulin‑dependent diabetes as a medical consequence of that trauma, later suffered back injuries in a 1992 on-duty motor vehicle accident, and was retired for disability in 1996 at age 39. She said changes to the law that would have allowed him to elect survivor benefits were enacted months after his forced retirement and that—because of timing—he was unable to elect an option that would have preserved survivor benefits.

"He was still fighting to return literally up until the day he died," O'Connor said, describing repeated medical procedures and appeals to return to duty. She asked the committee to grant a surviving-spouse allowance so she can receive compensation she says reflects her husband’s line‑of‑duty injuries and long service.

Representative Sweezy and other supporters described the bill’s legislative history, saying the petition was filed after the trooper’s death and has been refiled multiple times; it was reported favorably by the committee in prior sessions. O'Connor said she has filed bills since June 2020 and emphasized the human consequences of the denial: loss of income, stability, and recognition of service.

Committee members thanked O'Connor for her testimony; no questions were recorded. Witnesses asked the committee to report H.2886 favorably so the city and retirement board determinations at the local level can be honored by the Legislature.