Robert V Connelly

Robert V. Connelly, 87, of Westerleigh, a passionate civic leader, distinguished Navy veteran and successful businessman hailed for his integrity, generosity and kindness, died Friday in Staten Island University Hospital, Ocean Breeze.

The husband of Democratic Assemblywoman Elizabeth (Betty) A. Connelly, who represented the North Shore in the state Legislature from 1973 to 2000, provided steady support, accompanying her to countless community events on the Island and lawmaking trips to Albany.

Lanky and soft-spoken, Mr. Connelly sported a mustache and favored a jacket and tie no matter the occasion. He was always ready to step to the side of his high-powered wife, even relinquishing a successful career in air cargo to become more available.

Yet he established his own role in public life, benefiting dozens of causes and groups, among them the Democratic Party, Community School Board, the former St. Vincent's Medical Center, John Noble Maritime Collection, Catholic Youth Organization, American Heart Association, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Mount Manresa Jesuit Retreat House, Mission of the Immaculate Virgin at Mount Loretto and Blessed Sacrament parish.

MORE: Staten Island Community leaders remember Robert V. Connelly.

He shared his wife's commitment in championing the disabled and the mentally ill by supporting the Staten Island Center for Independent Living, the Staten Island Mental Health Society and the former Staten Island Developmental Center.

"The two complement one another as few couples do," a 1997 Advance profile explained. "They are invariably seen together, and Mr. Connelly often substitutes for her when she is unable to keep a commitment."

Assemblywoman Connelly died of cancer in 2006 at the age of 77.

A NATIVE ISLANDER

Mr. Connelly was born in New Brighton on March 28, 1925 to parents of Irish-Scottish extraction. His father, Cornelius V. Connelly, was a tugboat marine engineer for the New York Central Railroad, while his mother, Helen Louise, a native of Texas, was a school teacher.

When he was 8, his mother became ill and was hospitalized, and his father had to place their five children in the former St. Michael's Home, Greenridge, where they remained for a year. When his mother was recuperated, his father reunited the family.

After graduating from St. Peter's Boys' High School in 1942 on a four-year scholarship, Mr. Connelly enlisted in the U.S. Navy. Just 17 years old, he required parental consent.

He served as an aviation machinist's mate, and had been recommended to attend officers' candidate school just before he was discharged in 1946 as a petty officer first class, after 40 months of service.

While stationed in Pensacola, Fla., Mr. Connelly was part of a three-man team that developed the "Dilbert Dunker," a device credited with saving the lives of many naval aviators and crew members whose planes crashed in the sea.

The device was designed to simulate actual crash conditions at sea, using a swimming pool. The aviation cadet strapped in the cockpit learned not to panic and to think how to free himself while upside down in the water. Mr. Connelly and his associates won letters of commendation for their efforts.

He also served aboard the USS Lake Champlain.

SUCCESSFUL CAREER

After leaving the service, he entered the fledgling air cargo field, taking a position with an airline. In 1948, he went to work for Pan American World Airways and eventually became a district cargo agency sales supervisor.

In 1950, he joined Acme Air Cargo, Inc., as its U.S. sales manager, a post he held for three years. He and another business associate, Jerry Miller, then decided to set up an air cargo division for Frederic Henjes Sr. Inc. In 1953, Mr. Connelly, Miller and two other Islanders acquired control of the business and formed Henjes Air Cargo Inc., which became one of the leading independent air cargo agencies in the United States.

He became an industry leader, serving as president of the International Air Freight Agents Association and in various advisory capacities for airlines and the poultry and egg industry.

His career took him to more than 35 countries and 65 cities. He retired in 1983.

MARRIAGE AND FAMILY

In 1948 Mr. Connelly met his future wife, Elizabeth Keresey of the Bronx, while both were employed by Pan American. They wed on Sept. 6, 1952, in Christ the King R.C. Church, the Bronx.

The Connellys resided in Manhattan for two years before moving to Staten Island. They had homes in Graniteville and West Brighton until 1963, when they settled in Westerleigh, where they raised a son and three daughters.

Yesterday, they remembered their father's involvement in education and sports activities.

"He was the one we'd go to if we were in trouble, because our mother was a lot tougher," Margaret A. Nicholson confided with a chuckle.

"He knew everyone" in the community, she continued. "Everyone was his good friend. He set an example of community involvement."

The Connellys were longtime parishioners of Blessed Sacrament R.C. Church, West Brighton. Mr. Connelly served as a parish trustee, and chairman of its finance and school councils.

The family vacationed on Long Beach Island, along the New Jersey Shore, where he enjoyed a favorite pastime, solving crossword puzzles.

Friends and family recalled his organizational skills, especially when it came to saving mementos.

"Somehow, he never quite grasped the concept embodied by the phrase 'throw it away,'" a 2001 story in the Advance reported. It described Mr. Connelly's vast collection of membership cards, ticket stubs, dinner journals and photographs documenting important moments in his life.

Those moments included dozens of awards for his community service. Perhaps none ranked higher than his selection as 1987 Democrat of the Year by the Young Democrats of Staten Island, and as grand marshal of the 1995 Staten Island St. Patrick's Parade.

In addition to his daughter, Margaret, Mr. Connelly is survived by his son, Robert V. Jr.; his daughters, Alice M. Lanzi and Therese B. Shannon; a brother, William; a sister, Elizabeth Hansen, and seven grandchildren.

The funeral will be Tuesday from the Harmon Home for Funerals, West Brighton, with a mass at 10 a.m. in Blessed Sacrament Church. Monsignor Peter Finn, pastor, will officiate. Burial will follow in St. Peter's Cemetery, also West Brighton.