To The MFA,

We are sorry to inform you that Misericordia's great friend, MFA family member and campus co-visionary Bob Connolly passed away after being in hospice for several weeks. Sister Rosemary wrote so beautifully to the MFA a couple of weeks ago about Bob's many contributions to making Misericordia the beautiful place that it is today. Bob walked the journey with Sister Rosemary and Misericordia in a loving, compassionate and creative way for almost 50 years.

Sister Rosemary wanted to personally thank each and every one of you who wrote to Bob to express your appreciation for all he has meant to Misericordia and to all of us. It was so comforting to Bob, his family and Sister Rosemary. Please take a few minutes to read below, and please keep Bob, his loving wife Kathryn, their family (especially their son Brian who resides in the Peterman Home), and Sister Rosemary in your prayers.

Thank you,

Laurie and Bill McCarthy
MFA Chairs

Robert Brendan Connolly passed peacefully and entered God’s kingdom on May 29, 2020. He was surrounded by family who honored his great devotion to the Blessed Mother by praying the Miraculous Medal Novena as he took the final steps on his earthly journey.

Robert, as he was known to his parents and brothers, or Bob, as he was known to everyone else, was the youngest of five sons born to Thomas and Margaret (née McDonough) Connolly on July 30, 1928. His brothers Walter, Jack, Bernard, and Sylvester (Red) all predeceased him. Growing up on Chicago’s northwest side, Bob’s parents taught their sons the value of hard work, honesty and independence.

Bob attended the seminary for a year and finished high school at St. George in Evanston, where he was a proud member of the Dragons football team. Many of the friendships Bob made as a teenager lasted a lifetime, with both Al Brennan and Clarence “Bronco” Telkes wishing him Godspeed on his final day. Bronco added that Bob should be ready to suit up for the St. George alumni football game in heaven.

Bob graduated from DePaul University, where he became editor of the 1950 De Paulian yearbook. As an English major, Bob developed a love of language, reading and poetry. After graduation, Bob entered the U.S. Navy, completed Officer Candidate School, and rose to the rank of Lieutenant. His voyages to the Caribbean, Mediterranean Sea and Arctic Ocean sparked his interest in geography, history, and celestial navigation. Bob had a great affection for the Navy, which inspired one of his sons to become a naval officer.

While in service, Bob met shipmate Donald Connelly, a fellow Chicagoan who introduced Bob to his sister Kathryn (nee Connelly) when they were home on leave. Bob won Kathryn’s heart with his strong faith, love of Irish music, and a fine singing voice. Kathryn and Bob married in 1953 and celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary in April. Together they raised a loving family of seven children including sons John (Lindsey), Robert (Andrea), Brian and Hugh (Carrie) Connolly and daughters Linda (Gregory) Fahrenbach, Maura (Thomas) Ryan and Paula (Tom) McDonnell. Bob was an adoring Papa to his fourteen grandchildren including John and Greg Connolly; Lauren (Luke) Sloma; Brian (Katie), Eric (Sarah), and John Fahrenbach; Kara and Kyle Connolly; Kate, Aileen, Maeve, Sean and Eamon Ryan; and Thomas McDonnell. He cherished his three great-grandchildren (Jack, Claire, and Eleanor).

For Bob and Kathryn, family was their top priority. They selflessly devoted themselves to raising their children and took pride in all their accomplishments. In a book of memories that he recently completed, Bob shared that being a father gave him a sense of extreme gratification. While Bob could be a tough taskmaster, teaching his children the value of hard work and self-reliance, he was also kind and generous and known for his hospitality. The Connolly house was always open to nieces, nephews and their children’s friends. As far as Bob and Kathryn were concerned, the more the merrier. Some friends spent so much time with the family that they considered themselves part of the clan and affectionately referred to Bob as Uncle Robert.

Bob understood the importance of humor and fun in life and shared that with his family. Parties were legendary and centered around well thought out themes. Anyone who attended one of Bob and Kathryn’s Halloween barn parties, Thanksgiving feasts, pig roasts, or fish boils was in for a memorable experience. Bob always came up with unusual dishes to serve his guests. He was known to spend hours slicing and dicing celery, green peppers, tomatoes and purple onions to fashion his one-of-a-kind salad drenched in Italian dressing. When he stopped cooking, Bob hosted St. Patrick’s Day celebrations at Hackney’s, where Kathryn and he welcomed a steady stream of family and friends.

Bob had a love of adventure and travel and enjoyed going on vacations with his extended family. Whether he was cruising the waters of Alaska, attending the Calgary Olympics, or watching his grandchildren ski, a trip gave Bob the opportunity to share his wit and wisdom with those he loved most in the world. Bob was known for dropping by his grandchildren’s sporting events, concerts and recitals on a regular basis. He was always up for a road trip to Notre Dame; traveling with family and friends to points near and far to see the Fighting Irish play football. His last visit to ND was in October, when he received a VIP tour of the locker room and rode around campus on a private golf cart to see one of his grandsons play trombone with the ND Marching Band. The school fight song held a special place in Bob’s heart because it reminded him of many Saturday afternoons in his childhood when he listened to ND football games on the radio with his mother.

Bob would tell you that raising a loving family with Kathryn was his greatest achievement, but the creation of the Misericordia Heart of Mercy campus in Chicago serves as another important part of Bob’s legacy. In a recent email to Misericordia families, Executive Director Sister Rosemary Connelly, recalled how in 1975 she asked her brother-in-law Bob if he would help her realize her dream of creating a new campus for Misericordia on the site of the former Angel Guardian Orphanage. With a background in construction and development, Bob agreed and used “all his talents and energy - with few financial resources” in the early years - to create what has become one of the premiere facilities in the world for persons with developmental disabilities. Bob’s vision and attention to detail are evident throughout Misericordia’s 31-acre campus and its 13 CILA neighborhood homes. He oversaw the complex renovation of those community group homes until last year, when he retired at age 91. Bob approached every project as if he was creating a home for his own son or daughter, and for the past 35 years his dear son Brian has indeed called Misericordia home.

Bob’s work inspired an army of relatives and non-relatives alike to support Misericordia. When Bob entered hospice a few weeks ago, he received countless cards from people expressing their gratitude to him for his hand in creating a bit of “heaven on earth” for the children of Misericordia. Their words of appreciation touched and humbled Bob, who hadn’t realized that his contribution to Misericordia meant so much to so many people. Bob wanted to personally thank those who wrote, but his health declined too quickly. So on behalf of Bob and the Connolly family, please accept our heartfelt thanks and gratitude for your kind words and prayers.

Bob was dearly loved and will be sorely missed. Because of the current restrictions placed on gatherings, Bob’s burial will be private. A celebration of his life will occur at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Bob’s honor can be sent to:

Sister Rosemary Connelly, RSM
Executive Director

Misericordia Heart of Mercy
6300 N. Ridge Ave.
Chicago, IL 60660