Raymond B. Connolly, 65, passed away at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, VT, on Tuesday, June 9, 2020. Born in Berwyn, IL, on May 3, 1955, he was the son of the late Raymond A. and Louise (Byrnes) Connolly. On August 22, 1975, he married the former Jennifer S. Morgan in Wallingford, CT.
Ray was a 1973 graduate of Lyman Hall High School in Wallingford, CT. Following his marriage to Jennifer, they moved to Maine briefly and then embarked on a journey serving as Christian missionaries in Oklahoma. Following that they resided for a number of years in New Orleans. Coming to Vermont in 1990, Ray continued his education at Lyndon State College, graduating with his degree in information technology. After residing in Newport, North Troy and Stowe, he and Jennifer settled in Waterbury in 2002. Ray was employed by the state of Vermont from which he retired in 2019.
Ray is lovingly remembered for his quirky sense of humor, the joy he felt as a foster parent, his lifelong love of music, reading and the outdoors. A natural tinkerer with a keen sense of mechanical know-how, Ray also enjoyed a variety of outdoor recreational activities, fishing and outdoor photography.
Ray is loved and mourned by his wife of 45 years, Jennifer Connolly of Waterbury, VT; their daughter, Amberleigh S. Connolly and her partner Kiel Powell of Massena, NY; four grandchildren, Benjamin Aschoff, Payton Ladieu, Dash Powell and Jada Powell; two sisters, Christine Connolly and Patricia Brint, both of Wallingford, CT; five brothers, Timothy Connolly and his partner Susan Oviedo, Stephen Connolly and his wife Lydia, Thomas Connolly and his wife Michele, Neil Connolly and his wife Diane, all of Wallingford, CT, and Kevin Connolly of Florida; as well as nieces, nephews and extended family. Ray was predeceased by two sisters, Kathleen and Therese Connolly, and a brother, Daniel Connolly.
Private services will be held from Green Mountain Community Alliance Church in Duxbury, VT, with interment to take place in Hope Cemetery in Waterbury, VT. For those who wish, memorial gifts would be appreciated to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital (www.stjude.org). Arrangements are in the care of Perkins-Parker Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Waterbury, VT. To send online condolences visit www.perkinsparker.com or the funeral home Facebook page.
