Mary Bowen Connally

1930 - 2015

Mary Bowen Connally passed away July 20, 2015, in Hartford Ct. A gifted artist and loving mother, she trained in portraiture and illustration at Yale University School of Fine Arts, and at Rhode Island School of Design. Born in 1930, she grew up in Mountain Lakes NJ, and attended Carlton College in Northfield Minnesota, before going to art school. She was married August 21, 1953 to Thomas W Connally, of Atlanta Ga, who was attending Yale Architecture School. They lived in Connecticut and also briefly in the San Francisco area, before moving to New York City, where she spent most of her life. She was active in NOW, particularly the NY State Task force on Child Custody, in the late 60'a and early 70's. She became a Buddhist, and traveled extensively in Nepal and France. After cataract surgery in late 2014, and having recovered from lifesaving heart surgery in the fall of 2013, she was resuming her artistic work in portraiture at her home in Hartford, in 2015. A recurrence of CHF in June was followed by unexpectedly critical conditions, including severe respiratory infection. Her children and grandchildren were each with her at some time in the 2 months before she passed away. She is survived by her 3 children, Nancy C Zamboni, Thomas W Connally III, and Elizabeth C Bilodeau, her 2 grandchildren, Laura C Bilodeau and Jonathan M Zamboni, and also her brother, Robert Goss Bowen Jr. On Saturday, August 29 at 2pm, there will be a Memorial Service at Christ and Holy Trinity Church (55 Myrtle Ave, Westport, Ct, 203-227-0827, info@chtwestport.org ), with Interment of the ashes at nearby Willowbrook Cemetery (395 Main Street, Wesport, Ct.), followed by a gathering with more informal time to remember Mary and celebrate her life. Memorial offerings may be made to: U.S. Fund for UNICEF "Nepal Earthquake Relief" (125 Maiden Lane, New York NY 10038, 212-686-5522, www.unicefusa.org). ; Funeral arrangements are being handled by Ahern Funeral Home, 180 Farmington Ave, Hartford, Ct 06105, (860-522-1155) ahernfuneralhome.com. You may visit the website for further updates.