John J. "Jack" Connell

John J. "Jack" Connell, formerly of Marblehead and originally from South Boston, was born on September 1, 1938, and passed away peacefully on February 14, 2026.

Jack was the devoted husband of Mary "Marceline" Connell (Byrne) of Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, Ireland. From his humble beginnings in South Boston, where he lost his father as a teenager, Jack built a life defined by determination, curiosity, and learning. He often sailed with his friends from South Boston to the North Shore, including his favorite destination of Marblehead. He played local sports as a proud "Chippewa," graduated from Gate of Heaven High School in 1956 and worked a series of jobs to put himself through Boston College as a day student. He later attended Suffolk University Law School at night, earning his law degree in 1965, while working full time.

Jack went on to establish a successful criminal law practice in Boston, where he spent decades helping thousands of people in moments of profound need. His work was marked by fairness and an unwavering belief in the dignity of each of his clients.

In 1968, Jack moved his family to Marblehead, where he and Marceline raised their three children, John, Ann, and Maeve, in the town Jack had first sailed to as a teenager and imagined as the place he would one day raise a family. Together, they put all three children through college, an accomplishment that brought them great pride.

Once the tuition bills were behind him, Jack embraced a new passion: horseback riding. He became an accomplished equestrian, learning to play polo at age 60 and regularly embarking on demanding "inn-to-inn" cross-country in such places as the Loire Valley in France, across the midlands of Ireland, and over Vermont's Green Mountains.

A lifelong learner, Jack also devoted much of his adult life to the study of classical literature and theology. He participated for many years in Boston College's Lonergan Institute, where he found both intellectual challenge and spiritual depth.

Jack is survived by his beloved wife, Marceline; his three children, John P. Connell, Ann M. Fox (Connell), and Maeve Lucas (Connell); his son in law, Jim Fox; and his grandchildren: Maggie Lucas, Jack Connell, Claire Lucas, Brian Connell, Jay Fox, Will Fox, and Owen Connell.

A Memorial Mass for Jack will take place in the spring.