John J. O'Connor 3d | Justice's husband, 79

John J. O'Connor 3d, 79, the husband of retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, died yesterday in Phoenix of complications from Alzheimer's disease, the court said.

Mr. O'Connor, a lawyer, was diagnosed nearly two decades ago. His condition deteriorated markedly in mid-decade, and when the justice announced her retirement in 2005, she cited the need to care for her husband.

The O'Connors, who met as students at Stanford University's law school, married in 1952. They became a leading couple on Washington's social scene when they moved from Arizona in 1981 after her confirmation as the first woman on the Supreme Court.

After she retired, Sandra O'Connor made public her family's battle with Alzheimer's and became a vocal supporter of additional money for Alzheimer's research.

The family also shared a poignant development, saying that John O'Connor had struck up a romance with a fellow Alzheimer's patient after moving into an assisted-living center in Phoenix. The relationship changed his outlook for the better, the O'Connors' son Scott said, adding that his mother was just glad he was comfortable.

In addition to his wife and son, Mr. O'Connor is survived by two other sons, Brian and Jay, and six grandchildren. - AP