Peter Everett Connolly

1942 - 2018

FALMOUTH - Peter E. Connolly, 76, of Falmouth, passed away on July 15th with his family at his side after a 5-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Peter was born in Portland on June 2, 1942 to Margaret (Concannon) and Everett Connolly. He graduated from Cheverus High School then continued on to receive a bachelor’s degree from Gorham State Teachers College (USM) and a Masters in Education Administration from the University of Southern Maine.

Peter married Ida M. Reinsborough on June 18, 1966; they recently celebrated 52 years of marriage. Their marriage was a true partnership and served as a model and inspiration for many family members and friends.

Peter devoted his career to Windham public schools, serving as a teacher, administrator, and coach for 40 years. During his career, he taught English to thousands of students at the middle and high school levels, coached hundreds of athletes in many sports, primarily track and field and golf, and served as a mentor for countless colleagues and pre-service educators. As an administrator, Peter was an integral part of building the middle school in the early 1970s. Peter was an exemplary educator and adept at teaching anything, but he was passionate about bringing the plays and poetry of William Shakespeare to life for his students. Given one phrase, he could recite passages from any play and regale his students with sonnets. His passion for teaching and learning extended beyond the classroom; he led an adult “Lifeline” exercise class for 25 years and spent countless summers teaching summer school. After his retirement from Windham in 2005, Peter became a part-time instructor of education at Saint Joseph’s College.

Peter enjoyed many hobbies and interests. He was a life-long distance runner, participating in weekly road races and completed several marathons. A member of the Atlantic Salmon Federation for many years, Peter was an avid fly fisherman and enjoyed tying his own flies. In his retirement, he enjoyed morning rounds of golf at Riverside Golf Course with the “dew sweepers”. Art was an important part of Peter’s life, and he shared his talent and love of drawing and painting with many friends and family members. Peter was a voracious reader and could always be found with a good book and a hot cup of tea. Peter and Ida have been members of Trinity Episcopal Church in Portland for over 40 years where he served as senior warden of the vestry for several years and was an active member of many other committees.

Peter was predeceased by his parents, his brother William Connolly, and his nieces, Sarah Dyer and Roxanne Ross. Peter is survived by his loving wife, Ida, as well as his son, Aaron Connolly, daughter-in-law, Bethany, and granddaughters Grace and Delia, all of Portland. He is also survived by his sister, Evelyn Connolly, of South Portland, his beloved Reinsborough family, and many nieces and nephews. Peter is fondly remembered by many as a true gentleman – kind, witty, smart, and caring. He was genuinely a good man, respected by all who knew him and loved fiercely by his family and close friends.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, July 19th from 4:00pm-7:00pm at Jones, Rich, & Barnes Funeral Home at 199 Woodford Street in Portland. A funeral service and celebration of Peter’s life will be held on Friday, July 20th at 11:00am at Trinity Episcopal Church at 580 Forest Avenue in Portland.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Peter’s memory to the Portland Public Library or a school library of your choice. Peter’s family would like to thank the staff at Sedgewood Commons for the excellent care he received over the past 8 months.

Friends and family are invited to share their memories and offer their condolences by visiting Peter’s online guestbook at www.jonesrichandbarnes.com

A service of Jones, Rich & Barnes Funeral Home, 199 Woodford St., Portland, Maine, 04103. 775-3763.