Beloved father of four, John T. "Jack" Connolly, died peacefully Sunday night at the Greenwich Woods Health Care Center after a long illness. Mr. Connolly was a former president of the Port Chester Board of Education, a former Village Trustee and a board member of the Port Chester Public Library. He was a lifelong civic leader of the town and a devoted husband and father. He was a parishioner of Our Lady of Mercy Church. Mr. Connolly's distinguished career as a social worker and probation officer culminated in his final position as Chief of Probation and Parole, Federal Court, Southern District of New York, from which he retired in 1976. Born in Port Chester on May 15, 1914, he was the son of Thomas F. and Agnes Tobin Connolly. His father was the Hearst Newspapers area representative, who owned a newspaper and stationary store in Port Chester and was himself also a Village Trustee and later U.S. Post Master of the town. Jack graduated as President of the class of 1932 from Port Chester High School, where he distinguished himself as an outstanding center in Varsity Basketball, journalist, debater, serving as President of the Senior Class and President of the Student Body. He attended Holy Cross College in Worcester, MA, where he managed the undefeated men's varsity football team of 1935 while earning his bachelor's degree in English ('36). Upon graduation, he entered Fordham Law School, where he became interested in prisoner advocate work. He received his master's degree from the Fordham School of Social Work in 1939 and began his career at the Prison Association of New York, a non-profit prison advocacy group (now "The Osborn Association"). Mr. Connolly then became a probation officer with the U.S. District Court Probation Office, where he remained for 35 years, rising through the federal courts of the Southern District of New York to become Chief Probation Officer and Chief U.S. Pre-trial Services Officer. As a probation officer, he was involved in many high profile criminal cases. In 1940, he married Mary Elizabeth Carroll, who predeceased him in 1979. She was herself a dedicated civic leader and active volunteer in Port Chester with special interest in the March of Dimes, Parent-Teacher Association, the Westchester Mental Health Association and the Civic and Women's Clubs of Port Chester, all three of which she served as President. After retiring from the Courts, Mr. Connolly began a satisfying second career of Adjunct Professor in Criminal Justice and Public Administration at the University of New Haven. In 1983, he married Barbara Lyons Saunders, a retired school teacher from one of Greenwich's first families and moved to Greenwich. His second wife died in 1991. He was active in the Retired Men's Association of Greenwich, serving as historian and secretary of the club. In 1995, Mr. Connolly was honored by the association's "Outstanding Service Award". Through his later retirement, he remained active on the residents' board of the Putnam Hill Association in Greenwich. He is survived by four beloved children: John F. Connolly and Deborah Armstrong Connolly of Greenwich; Carroll A. Pugmire of Manchester, CT; Kevin P. Connolly and Teesha Connolly of Alexandria, VA and Mara Connolly Taft and Pete Taft of Hopewell, NJ; by 10 grandchildren: David Pugmire, Laurie Chambrello, John Pugmire, Kristin Connolly Vadis, Michelle Connolly Roberts, Kate Connolly, Christopher Connolly, Elizabeth Connolly, Michael John Connolly and Molly Taft; and by 10 great-grandchildren: Kourtney, Amanda and Carly Chambrello, Joseph and Sam Pugmire, Jack, Julia, Nick and Brendan Pugmire and Isabelle Roberts. Visitation will be 4-8 PM on Thursday, October 7, 2004 at Craft Memorial Home, Inc. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10 AM on Friday, October 8, 2004 at Our Lady on Mercy Church, Westchester Avenue, Port Chester, NY. Interment to follow at Saint Mary's Cemetery, Greenwich, CT. Memorial donations in memory of Mr. Connolly may be made to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. CRAFT MEMORIAL HOME 40 Leicester Street, Port Chester (914) 939-0131