Sandra Day O'Connor, through the eyes of her sons

As we reflect on the life and legacy of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who passed away December 1 at the age of 93, who better to reflect on the richness of her life than her children?

Justice O'Connor, as a mom, was known to run a tight but loving ship at home, full of activity, excitement, and new experiences that her adult sons still remember to this day.

It's a private side to the trailblazer that few of us have gotten to hear about until recently.

A loving, energetic mother

"Mom, as a physical presence, had more energy than any ten people you could put in a room," explained Scott O'Connor during a 2019 interview with ABC15's Katie Raml. "On the weekends, we were not allowed to sit still for a minute!"

Watch the 2019 interview in the video player below:

And through the eyes of her three sons, now all grown up with their own families, we've been able to get a better glimpse of what Justice O'Connor was like outside the courtroom.

"She was always the first one out of bed," said Scott, who was Justice O'Connor's oldest son. "She was always the first one saying, 'Get up!'...'Today we have tennis, then we have dance lessons!'"

Scott also reflected on what his mom's legacy would be.

"It's fascinating because there are so many aspects to her career," explained Scott. "...There are often politicians in our country, who when they're unhappy about a particular judge's decision, often want to fire the judge or reduce their independence, and mom said, 'no, you can't do that.' That's what makes our system work so well."

A sense of adventure

Name an adventure and Brian has probably checked it off his bucket list (including climbing Mt. Everest)!

And it looks like that sense of adventure may be in his blood, saying it probably comes from his mom.

"Here's a person who would water ski on the Colorado River and go skiing in the Alps and all kinds of places," Brian, the second-oldest son, said about Justice O'Connor.

Brian also recalled hearing a story about his mom using pepper spray during an encounter with a bear in Alaska.

"I wish it had been on film, but Mom is not one to make up a story!"

It was a life full of adventure, not just for Justice O'Connor, but her entire family. They never wasted a single moment of each day.

"As a little boy, she was always sure that we were doing something after school as well," explained Brian. He said his daily activities could include golf lessons, tennis, or even cotillion classes at the Arizona Biltmore.

Brian remembers his mom not just being a social person, but also someone who could use her ability for good.

"She just has this historic, great ability to connect with people and it was a God-given gift and it worked for her," he said.

In difficult moments, Justice O'Connor was able to show a level of grace, strength, and compassion that was impossible not to admire.

Her historic achievements are undeniable, but Justice O'Connor the adventurer, the free spirit, the caring mother is how Brian says he'll remember her the most.

RELATED STORIES:

• Excerpts of Supreme Court opinions by Sandra Day O’Connor
• Artists and attorneys inspired by Justice O'Connor remember her legacy
• Justice Sandra Day O'Connor will lie in repose at the Supreme Court on Dec. 18

Breaking barriers

Blazing the trail was something Brian saw his mom do many times throughout her historic career, long before becoming our country's first female U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

"It was clear she had a position as a woman that was not typical."

But her first voyage into the history books came in 1973 when she became the majority leader of the Arizona State Senate. It was the first time a woman had ever held that role in any state.

"We would all be waiting for the Senate to adjourn, which once or twice went late, and we were out there in the station wagon, loaded with the skis on top, waiting to go to Utah or Colorado for our Christmas ski break," Brian said. "I think there was a sense of 'she must be important if we're down here at the capitol.'"

Less than a decade later, Justice O'Connor, then a judge in Arizona, would be thrust into the national spotlight when President Ronald Reagan nominated her to the U.S. Supreme Court.

"I don't think anyone in the family thought this was going to happen," Brian said. "It was a wonderful honor for her to be considered."

It was a dream that would soon become reality. The boundary-breaking moment was historic in every way, especially for the little girl who grew up during the Great Depression on a dusty Arizona ranch - a ranch she loved and where she learned the value of hard work.

For Brian, one of the most memorable parts of Justice O'Connor getting sworn in was having his grandparents there for the momentous occasion.

"That was incredible," explains Brian.

Throughout her 25 years on the U.S. Supreme Court, Justice O'Connor would rule in several landmark cases dealing with issues like affirmative action, abortion, and discrimination.

But it was one case in particular Justice O'Connor would later suggest in an interview the Supreme Court maybe not should have taken up - Bush v. Gore.

Brian happened to be in D.C. for the historic oral arguments.

"The next morning, she's up making toast and coffee and it's probably around 6:00 in the morning and she says, 'Well, we made our decision, and half the country is going to hate me.'"

In fact, for a long time, many people would call it, "The O'Connor Court" because of the power she would yield while finding a middle ground.

It was her abilities as a judge and to build consensus that Brian says she'd like to be remembered for.

Coming to terms with the end

In 2019, when ABC15 last interviewed Scott, his mom had begun to show advanced signs of Alzheimer's disease.

"We lost Dad to Alzheimer's, we're losing Mom to Alzheimer's and that's horrible, but we have kind of dulled the pain since we already went through it with Dad. Mom has been in it for a while. We know what's coming and we're coping as best as we can."

Even though they had experienced the same disease with their father, John Jay O'Connor, there were still hard moments, as millions of people with family members struggling with the very same disease are all too familiar with.

"She's here and yet not here and I tear up every time we think about it because I miss her," Scott said.

It was announced back in 2018 that Justice O'Connor was suffering from dementia, and at that point, decided to step away from public life. Throughout the later years of her life, she remained a tireless advocate for Alzheimer's research.

"Of all the things that your mom had done, what do you think her legacy will be?" ABC15's Nick Ciletti asked.

"I'd say, 'Here lies a good judge.' I think she'd like to be known as a good judge - not the greatest justice and not a controversial one - but a job well done," Brian replied. "And a 'Thank you, Justice O'Connor,' and she'd be very good with that."