John Joseph Conley Sr.

Conley, John Joseph "Joe" Sr.
GLENS FALLS - John Joseph "Joe" Conley Sr. passed away on Wednesday, January, 22, 2025, surrounded by his children.
Born on January 6, 1936, in Albany, N.Y., Joe was the second son of Raymond and Regina (Gerwin) Conley.
Joe graduated from Cathedral Academy in Albany, where he excelled in athletics. While in HS, Joe was selected All-Albany in football, basketball and baseball for three consecutive years! As a junior, Joe won the Thom McAn Football Trophy for outstanding football players, and, for three years, Joe was selected to play in the Hearst USA Baseball games in New York, N.Y. Joe was so good at baseball; he was offered tryouts with three major league teams and can be seen in pictures with Joe DiMaggio!
Joe met Theresa Mazzone when they were just 12, and the rest is history! They married on March 2, 1957, and celebrated 65 years together before Theresa predeceased Joe, in 2022. Joe was an Irishman with a palate for Italian food, and mom always had sauce on the stove. Their enduring love blossomed into a large and loving family.
While raising six children, Joe worked first in Gas Construction and advanced through Niagara Mohawk (now National Grid) to become a Gas Planning Supervisor for the Capital Region. Joe took the bold move to move his family to Queensbury in 1974 to become the Gas Operations Supervisor for the expanding Northeast Region in Glens Falls, leaving his beloved Albany stomping grounds for a more, then rural, home in the Adirondacks. It was a move that Joe and Theresa came to embrace. After a 40-year career in the gas industry, Joe retired in 2000.
Never one to sit still, Joe and Theresa combined to work at Hamilton News replenishing magazines in local stores. He could often be seen laughing & chatting with shoppers as mom replaced the magazines.
Joe took his love of sports to a side career. For 40 years, he was a football and basketball official in Albany and Glens Falls. He often brought his children to score the games, catch loose balls or sit and cheer. For many years, he and Theresa ran local road races together.
Family was the center of Joe's life; six children, Joanne Conley (Cole Hickland) of Queensbury, Susan Salice (Thomas) of Rye, John Conley Jr. (Kerry) of Saratoga, Regina Bethel (Steve) of Queensbury, Michael Conley of Queensbury, Raymond Conley (Elaine) of Queensbury; thirteen grandchildren, Andrew, Alexander (Alyssa) and Christine Benway, Sarah, Regina (Devin) and Bridget (fiancé Roger) Salice, Kathleen, Shelagh and Maeve (fiancé Jim) Conley, Stephen (Kim), Joel and Raymond (fiancé Abby) Bethel, and Jack Conley; five great-grandchildren, Violet and Oliver Bethel, Chase and Miles McCrossan, Clark Benway.
Joe loved life! He had an unwavering strength, infectious humor and genuine ability to connect with everyone he met. As the patriarch of his family, Joe LOVED every family gathering, especially weekends at the beach in Guilford, summer holidays at Eagle Lake, pizza with the guys at Ray's garage, making his special hot chicken dip, and playing, watching and talking about any sport! Joe started an annual Christmas tradition, the Dollar Game, so each grandchild would try to catch a crisp new dollar bill as he let it float from a high!
Joe was predeceased by his wife, Theresa Mazzone Conley; and his brother, Raymond T. Conley.
The family would like to thank the caring doctors, nurses and aides at Glens Falls Hospital for their compassionate care, Dr. William Tedesco, Palliative Care and Dr. William Borgos, Joe's internal medicine doctor who always showed the greatest respect and care.
Family and friends may call from 4 to 6 on Sunday, January 26, 2025, at Singleton Sullivan Potter Funeral Home, 407 Bay Road, Queensbury, N.Y.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held, at 12:00 p.m., on Monday, January 27, 2025, at St. Mary's Church, 62 Warren St., Glens Falls, N.Y. 12801.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to a nurses and caregivers self-care at Glens Falls Hospital, Glens Falls Hospital Foundation Donation page, Albany Med. Health System.
For those who wish, online condolences can be made to the family by visiting www.sbfuneralhome.com.