James Connelly of Brownsville, TX, formerly of Merrimack, NH, entered into eternal rest on Saturday the 16th of May, 2021 at Valley Baptist Medical Center-Brownsville surrounded by his loving family. He is preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Helen (Dunn) Connelly of Waltham, MA, and his brother Joseph Connelly of Dallas, TX. Left to cherish his memory are his wife Helen (Kovach) Connelly; children James (and Dianne) Connelly of Merrimack, NH, and Theresa (and Tyler) Kembel of Fort Morgan, CO; brother Lawrence (and Sandra) Connelly of Waltham, MA; and 2 grandchildren, Aubrie and Peyton Connelly. He was born in Waltham, MA on the 26th of February, 1943.
James was a devoted husband, proud father, even prouder grandfather, and loyal brother. He was a true friend with a vibrant personality that will be missed by many. His smile was contagious and with it, he could fill a room with joy. He had a sense of humor that through his animated stories, could light up a crowd and make anyone comfortable in his presence.
Eager to serve and following his older brothers’ examples, James joined the United States Marine Corps and served with honor from 1960 to 1964. LCpl. Connelly served in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and Rota, Spain. He wore his USMC Veteran cap with pride. He was a magnet for fellow Leathernecks and could talk for hours with another Grunt about their pride in claiming the title of United States Marine. He could often be heard humming or whistling the Marine Corp Hymn.
James met the love of his life, Helen, in Boston, MA in 1970. They were married at St Peter and Paul Russian Orthodox Church in Lindon, NJ on the 3rd of June, 1972. Shortly after, they relocated to Merrimack, NH. They welcomed their children, James and Theresa in 1973 and 1988, respectively. The two set nothing short of the best example of true-love and commitment throughout their marriage.
James and Helen ran a successful business, Think Video, in Merrimack for over 30 years. In his later professional career he served the community as an Emergency Dispatcher for the Merrimack Police Department, retiring in 2017. He thoroughly enjoyed his time at MPD and made lifelong friendships at the department; he would tease about being the only person who could tell a cop where to go.
Post-retirement, James and Helen traveled the United States in their camper making memories and testing out local cuisine. Helen never got to drive and he never got to see the entirety of the Grand Canyon because he couldn’t get close enough to look over the edge. They landed in Brownsville, TX in 2019. He referred to their new locale as “paradise†where he got to enjoy the perfect golf weather year-round, and play his lifelong sport as many days of the week as he pleased.
A Memorial Service will be held from 10:00 am-2:00 pm with Full Military Honors at 11:00 am on Wednesday the 19th of May, 2021. Services have been entrusted to Sunset Memorial Funeral Home. 657 Springmart Blvd, Brownsville, TX. (956)350-8485. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) in his memory to honor his only nephew, Lawrence Connelly Jr.
1 Comment
Jimmy and I served together in Marine Barracks Rota Spain in the Second Guard Platoon. He was a Great Guy and many years later Judy and I stopped to see him and his wife in NH on our way back from Maine. He was the same nice Guy I knew in Rota. The last time We saw Jimmy and his wife was at Jose(Chico)Rivera’s Funeral in Bridgeport Conn. and still the same person I knew many years ago in Rota. He and his Wife did well and raised a Great Family and He will surely Missed. Sempri Fi Jimmy. Tom and Judy Scanlon Beaufort, South Carolina.
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