John E. Connelly

John E. Connelly, 83, of Indiana Township, died peacefully, Saturday, May 16, 2009, at his home. A national pioneer as a businessman, Mr. Connelly was the father of modern bank and supermarket incentive marketing. He was also the founder of the Gateway Clipper Fleet and a long time leader and innovator of the riverboat passenger vessel industry. He started riverboat gaming in the U.S. in 1991 in Davenport, Iowa. At its height, Mr. Connelly's riverboat excursion, gaming enterprises, marketing enterprises and hotel developments consisted of more than a dozen companies with more than 5000 employees. Mr. Connelly served as the unpaid treasurer for the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) for many years and was enormously proud of its accomplishments in cleaning up Pittsburgh's rivers. His involvement with ALCOSAN gave him the vision to start a riverboat business because he realized that the rivers were an unutilized asset to the City of Pittsburgh. Of the hundreds of successful incentive marketing programs he developed for both bank and supermarkets, the program he was proudest of was "Apples For Students," which he developed for major supermarkets in every part of the United States. This program provided free Apple computers to school districts who participated with their respective national supermarkets. He was acknowledged by the president of the United States and secretary of education as having materially contributed to the education of hundreds of thousands of school children in the United States. Mr. Connelly was, for more than a decade, the largest single purchaser of Apple computers in the world to implement his program for students. Mr. Connelly generously shared his wealth with anyone in need, including his church, Catholic charities, various school districts and countless universities. He was very proud of being Catholic and offered many times to provide a Catholic education to any child who wanted one. He was a friend to everyone who worked for him, as well as his neighbors and to the people who lived in the community. He was also the friend of many presidents, senators, governors, mayors and legislators. He was a personal friend Pope John Paul II, whom he visited many times. In addition to his other charitable contributions, Mr. Connelly contributed funds and services which helped the Vatican construct a 132 room hotel in Vatican City, which houses the Conclave of Cardinals. Mr. Connelly was born in 1925 and has always worked to help support his family and others. He was a World War II honorably discharged Army veteran. He was the beloved husband of the late Josephine C. Connelly, who he nursed through a very long and difficult illness; father of Audree Wirginis Schwartzlander, of Sarver, Robert Connelly, of Indiana Township, Roderick Connelly, of Indiana Township, and Regis Connelly, of Hampton; brother of Eugene Connelly, of Upper Saint Clair, and Dorothy Cline, of Titusville, Fla.; also 13 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren. Celebrate Mr. Connelly's life with his family from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday at the FRANK R. PERMAN FUNERAL HOME INC., 923 Saxonburg Blvd. at Route 8, Shaler Township. Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. Wednesday in St. Mary of the Assumption Church, Glenshaw. The family suggests donations to St. Mary School, 2510 Middle Road, Glenshaw, PA 15116.