By Elliott West
“He was never miserable no matter what pain he was going through – he was so strong. He kept going and going and wouldn’t give up and he always had a great big smile on his face whenever he walked in the door.”
Billy’s father, Barry O’Connor.
Introduction
It only seems like yesterday but in 2015 the snooker world lost a true teenage prodigy, Billy O’Connor. Born and raised in Dagenham, Billy who was diagnosed with a germ cell tumour, aged 15 was initially given a prognosis of having two days to live but defied the odds and would go to live until he was 18. O’Connor sadly collapsed at his home at Ivyhouse Road and passed away less than 48 hours later.
Truly Inspirational
Billy was a ray of light that inspired and influenced so many. A young man with a beautiful smile and someone who radiated kindness. Prior to his illness, O’Connor had captained the England Under-16 snooker team after training at Grove Snooker Academy in Romford which nurtured Ronnie O’Sullivan amongst others. In 2014 he won the Champion of Champions tournament at Upton Park Snooker Centre and also spent his final years raising money for the Teenage Cancer Trust, a charity that was given more than £11,000 thanks to a 24-hour snooker tournament organised by the teenager. It was attended by the likes of Jack Lisowski, Neil Robertson, Stuart Bingham, Mark King and Sean O’Sullivan.
Billy despite being extremely ill, was a loving soul who always put others first. Even when he was in extreme pain, his inner strength was amazing and he just kept going and going. He wasn’t someone who would give up and never showed how ill he was, walking around with a spring in his step and a constant smile on his face.
Loved by his friends, family and snooker colleagues, O’Connor was a breath of fresh air, selfless and a rare breed in this fast-moving world we live in. A former pupil at All Saints Catholic School, Billy was an inspiration for all cancer patients, he didn’t let this dreadful illness beat him and carried on with normality until he no longer could. A ray of sunlight that will always shine bright and someone that the snooker community will never forget.
