Matthew Gunner Ohanion was born on November 1, 1958, to celebrity couple Mike and Mary Lou Connors. His place of birth is unknown.
Matthew’s Siblings
Matthew was the only son that Mike Connors had, but he has one sister, Dana Lee Connors, born in July 1960.
As with her brother, Dana stayed away from the public limelight. Not much is known about her and what she does for a living. The only available information from trusted sources is that she is a wife and mother to one child.
Matthew’s Childhood
Not much is known about Matthew’s childhood. Details of where he spent his childhood remain unknown. Nonetheless, one event appears to overshadow his childhood: his diagnosis with schizophrenia at age 15.
Sadly, his condition led to his institutionalization, which explains the lack of information about his life.
Matthew’s Parents’ Unique Marriage Life
Matthew’s parents had a unique marriage going by Hollywood standards. Hollywood relationships are not known to last long, and marriages, separations, divorces, and re-marriages are common occurrences.
Nonetheless, the marriage of Mike and Mary Lou lasted for an impressive 67 years. The couple kept their vows till death, demonstrating authentic love between them.
Mike met Matthew’s mother, Mary Lou, during the 1940s when the two were UCLA students. Mike was studying law while Marylou pursued a course in education. He later changed his career to acting, much to the disappointment of his family. But Mary Lou stuck by his side as he rode the storm caused by his decision to pursue acting.
According to Mike, he wanted to marry Mary Lou after a brief dating period, but she stalled at the idea. When he first proposed, Marylou took a break from college and spent time in their Laguna Beach home, where the Connors ran a door-to-door business selling vacuum cleaners.
Mike was tired of waiting, and it wasn’t until he issued her an ultimatum that she accepted his proposal. The college sweethearts eventually tied the knot on September 10, 1949.
Their marriage life wasn’t easy. Matthew’s father once confessed that he faced numerous temptations from women, but his love for his wife compelled him to remain faithful. Mike also attributed his strong sense of humor as the glue that kept the couple together.
While describing the temptations he encountered, Mike gave details of how Lana Turner, a Hollywood celebrity, approached him for a relationship and how he extinguished her advances.
Mike also demonstrated significant support for his son’s medical condition.
Matthew’s Parent’s Support for His Schizophrenia
Matthew’s dad was motivated by his son’s condition to become an outspoken supporter of research on mental illnesses. He also created significant awareness against the stigma directed at the mentally ill.
He was recognized for his efforts when he received a Silver Ribbon Award in 1988 from UC Irvine College.
What Caused Matthew’s and His Father’s Death?
Sadly, Matthew passed on before his father did. Matthew died in 2007 following heart failure.
His father died at 91 from leukemia, barely a week after doctors diagnosed him with the disease.
Mike Connors was survived by Mary Lou and Dana Lee’s family consisting of herself, her husband, and her daughter.
Comments are closed.