John W. Connelly Sr.

John W. Connelly Sr., 82 Lakeland - John W. Connelly, Sr. 82, passed away January 6, 2015 at home from complications of MDS and heart problems. He was born September 19, 1932 in National Park, N.J. to James and Mary Connelly. Known to his family as Jack, he was the fourth of six children. A graduate of Haddon Heights (NJ) High School (1950); John was a retired Captain of the National Guard and Army Reserve being a Company Commander and Staff Officer. He was the first National Guard graduate of Army Infantry Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia in 1954. As a National Guardsman, John went from civilian life directly to Officer Candidate School (OCS) being one of sixty graduates out of a beginning class of 165. John has been a member of the Church of The Resurrection since 1969 after moving with his family to Lakeland from Liverpool, NY. He has been active in the Church as a Lector, led the ministry of the church van drivers, and many other activities. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus for many years holding the positions of Grand Knight, Faithful Navigator, and District Deputy. He was a leader in fund raising programs at Santa Fe High School; Sun ""n Fun; Detroit Tigers; and the Knights of Columbus; and served as the General Manager of the Lakeland Gator""s Youth Football Program. He was a retired Regional Sales Manager of Campbell Soup Company, a spice company, and a leading food service coffee roaster company. He received the highest awards from all for his capacity to meet and exceed quotas but most important, seizing upon introducing new company products, concepts, starting a national trend in the coffee industry with Colombian Coffee and Freshly Brewed Decaf coffee.For the past fifteen years he enjoyed working as one of the team at the Cleveland Allstate Insurance office here in Lakeland. John was preceded in death by his parents and three brothers Bob, Dan, Joe, a sister Joan and her husband Joe. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Anne, two sons, John and Jim (Claudia), three daughters, Kathleen (Robert), Clare, and Maureen (Gary), grandchildren Tracy, Natalie, Ryan, Christine, and Emily, great grandchildren Tony and Jaime, brother Jim and many cousins, nieces, and nephews. The family will receive friends at the Heath Funeral Chapel on Sunday, January 11 from 5 to 7 p.m. with a celebration of his life at a Mass at the Church of the Resurrection on Monday, January 12 at 10:15 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations would be gratefully accepted by the Knights of Columbus at P. O. Box 91331 Lakeland, FL 33804 or NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Polk County, P. O. Box 1182, Highland City, FL 33846. Service: 01/12/2015 Church of the Resurrection 3720 Old Highway 37, Lakeland, FL 33813 Heath Funeral Chapel Visitation: 01/11/2015 Heath Funeral Chapel