Edward S. Connolly

EDWARD S. CONNOLLY, noted local physician, passed away this past Saturday, February 1, 2014 surrounded by family, following a brief exacerbation of a long illness. He was 79. Ed is survived by Elise Lapeyre Connolly, his wife of 50 years, his sons E. Sander Connolly, Jr. (Christine), Sean E. Connolly (Chrissy), Paul A. Connolly (Squeaky), Christopher R. Connolly, James L. Connolly (Jessica), and his daughter Patricia Connolly Boersma (David). He is also survived by his nine grandchildren: Anna Connolly, Sarah Connolly, Peter Connolly, Nathalie Boersma, Christopher Connolly, Olivia Connolly, John (Jack) Connolly, Parker Connolly, and Edward (Bud) Connolly, his brother, John E. Connolly (Virginia), his sister Patricia C. Ryan, as well as many beloved nephews, nieces, cousins, friends, colleagues and trusted care-givers. He is pre-deceased by his brother James P. Connolly. Ed was born in Omaha, Nebraska, the youngest child of Dr. and Mrs. Earl A. Connolly. His father was Professor of Surgery at Creighton Medical School and mother was a Registered Nurse and full time mother. He attended Creighton Preparatory School, Stanford University, and Creighton Medical School, graduating Alpha Omega Alpha in 1960. After training in neurological surgery at the University of California San Francisco, he remained on the faculty at UCSF until 1972, when he became the Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at the Ochsner Clinic. He continued in that position until 1996, after which he served as senior consultant until 2003. At Ochsner, he served on the Clinic Board of Management, on the Executive Committee of the Foundation, and as President of the Brent House. At the time of his retirement he was a Professor of Neurosurgery at LSU Medical School and a Clinical Professor at Tulane University Medical School. He was a founding member and former chairman of the AANS-CNS Joint Section on Disorders of the Spine Peripheral Nerves, and served as the Initial Chairman on the Task Force on the Spine. He was a member of the American Board of Neurological Surgeons and served as the President of the American Academy of Neurological Surgeons. He was also a member of the Neurosurgical Society of America and served as President of the Louisiana Neurosurgical Society. At the time of his death he was an active Member of the Board of Fidelity Homestead Savings Bank. He was also a member of the Boston Club; Louisiana Club; the New Orleans Country Club and several Carnival organizations. Friends and family are invited for visitation at 9:30AM, followed by a Mass of Christian burial, at Holy Name of Jesus Church, 6367 St. Charles Avenue, at 10:30AM, Friday February 7th. Interment will follow in Metairie Cemetery, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Edward S. Connolly lectureship at the Ochsner Health System, Department of Philanthropy, 1514 Jefferson Highway, BH 240, New Orleans, LA 70121 (www.ochsner.org), or the charity of your choice.To view and sign the guestbook, please visit www.lakelawnmetairie.com.