James Francis O'Haren, Jr.

James Francis O’Haren Jr. was born, the eldest of three children, in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania to James Francis O’Haren Sr. and Elizabeth Sauer O’Haren. Jim, a product of catholic preparatory school, attended Mount Saint Mary’s College in Emmitsburg, Maryland where, as a wiry southpaw pitcher, helped lead the baseball team to a NCAA National Championship. Jim would go on to graduate with a degree in business accounting and an offer to play baseball for the Detroit Tigers. Jim served in the United States Army for 4 years before receiving an honorable discharge and befriending a gentleman who would later offer him a job in the Houston oil industry. In Houston, Jim met the love of his life, Florence Catherine Civiletto while attending Saint Anne’s Catholic Church, where they would later marry. While in Houston, Jim and Florence became very involved with the Passionists’ Retreat Center, where they volunteered as couples counselors together. Jim and Florence would spend several adventurous years living abroad between New York, Houston, and Lausanne, Switzerland while Jim elevated himself to Vice President and Secretary of Marathon Manufacturing Corporation. Upon returning to Houston, Jim would leave the corporate world for the dream of a career involving his life-long passion, tennis. In 1979, Jim purchased Tulsa Southern Tennis and Athletic Club and moved his wife and young daughter, Noel, to Tulsa, Oklahoma. Jim’s career as a tennis club owner afforded him the unique opportunity, through the years, to play alongside and count as friends many of tennis’s greatest players including John McEnroe, Billy Jean King, John Newcombe, Stan Smith, and Jack Kramer. Jim spent many years striving to bring the best of what tennis has to offer to the people of Tulsa along with elevating Tulsa-area tennis into the national spotlight. Soon after arriving in Tulsa, Jim and Florence joined St. Bernard of Clairvaux Catholic Parish where they remained involved for many years in numerous charitable organizations. Jim took great pride in helping to organize the Catholic Men’s Club and becoming a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus. Jim also spent many years in civic organizations including the Tulsa Downtown Rotary Club. Jim will always be remembered by his loved ones and friends as having a competitive spirit, a propensity to recycle his favorite jokes too often, an unrelenting desire to provide for his family, an uncanny knowledge of modern pop culture, a confident (and sometimes unbridled) voice, and most of all, an unwavering devotion to Jesus Christ and his life-long faith. Jim returned peacefully home to our lord, Jesus Christ on Saturday, May 9, 2015. Jim is preceded in death by his parents, James and Elizabeth O’Haren, and adopted son, Richie Farrell. Jim is survived by his wife, partner, and best friend, Florence O’Haren of Tulsa; daughter and son-in-law Noel O’Haren Groves and John Groves of Tulsa; four grandchildren: Nealy Brooke Groves, Fiorenza Brenley Groves, Declan Jameson Groves, and Marin Claire Groves all of Tulsa; brother and sister-in-law Thomas and Ginny O’Haren of Marietta, GA, Sister Mary Michele O’Haren IHM of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; and six nieces and nephews. Funeral Mass will be held in Jim’s honor Friday, May 15th, 2015 at 10:00 A.M. at Saint Bernard of Clairvaux Catholic Parish, 4001 E. 101st Street, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 74137 For those who wish to attend, a Rosary Service will also be held at Saint Bernard’s’ Thursday, May 14th, 2015 at 5:30 P.M. Friends can honor Jim's memory with contributions to their favorite charity. Fitzgerald Southwood Colonial Chapel, 918-291-3500.