JOSEPH VINCENT CONNOLLY

1929 - 2023

CONNOLLY, Joseph Vincent Of West Roxbury, MA, died peacefully in the company of family on March 24, 2023. He will be laid to rest next to his beloved wife of 55 years, Rosemary L. Connolly (Kehoe) at St. Joseph's Cemetery in West Roxbury. Joseph was born to immigrant parents Joseph Connolly (Ireland) and Anna Connolly (Manning) (Newfoundland) in Brighton, MA, on September 26, 1929. He is preceded in death by siblings, John and Nancy. He attended Brighton High School and graduated in 1947, during which time he worked at St. Elizabeth's Hospital. He earned his bachelor's degree from Boston College in 1952, and was commissioned through the ROTC program to serve his country as an Army Artillery Officer with the 24th Division, 13th Field Artillery Battalion, during the Korean Conflict. He earned a Bronze Star for Merit and retired with the rank of Captain in 1964 as a reservist. Following the war, he earned his master's in education from Boston State College in 1956, and became a science teacher in the Boston Public School system. A dedicated teacher, he eventually became the Head of Department in Science at Boston Latin School, from which he retired in 1992. He was particularly proud to see all three of his sons graduate from Boston Latin. He is survived by those sons and their wives, Joseph and Debra, James and Janet, and Edward and Lorraine. He was a loving "Buppa" to his grandchildren, Joseph and Rebecca, Meghan and Andrew, Meredith and Adam, Caitlin, Colman, Brendan, Aidan and Rowan; and great-grandchildren James, Jack and most recently Oliver. He is further survived by an extended network of family and friends. Joseph was a man of deep faith and was a dedicated parishioner of St. Theresa's in West Roxbury, MA. He was a man who believed strongly in serving his community, church, and country. He was a lively, social character who loved finding connections between individuals. Joseph was a proud lifelong resident of Boston and a longtime reader of the Globe - it has been said that he would only regret not being able to read this entry in his beloved "Irish Sports Pages." Visiting Hours at the William J. Gormley Funeral Home, 2055 Centre St., WEST ROXBURY, on Friday, March 31st from 9-11 am followed by a Funeral Mass in St. Theresa Church at 11:30 am. Relatives and friends invited. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to the caring staff of the Newport long term care facility; Alliance Health at Maples, 90 Taunton Street, Wrentham, MA 02093. For directions and guestbook, www.gormleyfuneral.com William J. Gormley Funeral Service 617-323-8600