Msgr. Paul V. Garrity

Last December, Boston Magazine did a story on Jack Connors, who was laid to rest last week. They asked him what would make the City of Boston better. Without a pause, he said, “If all the rich people cared about the poor people.” This is what Jack Connors did throughout his successful career as an advertising executive and a philanthropist. And this is why St. Ignatius Church at Boston College was 130% full for his funeral on July 30. 

The congregation was a collection of who’s who in Boston. Gov. Maura Healy sat next to Mayor Michelle Wu. Congresswoman Katherine Clark, former Secretary of State and Sen. John Kerry, former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, former Congressman Joe Kennedy, and former Gov. Charlie Baker were just a few of the notables who turned out to celebrate his life and mourn his passing. Boston College President Bill Leahy was the celebrant of the funeral Mass, joined by 35 other priests, including Cardinal Sean O’Malley, who did the final prayers at the end of the service. Most memorable, however, was the eulogy by Jack’s son, John, which captured the excellence of Jack’s life. 

He humorously recounted his father’s joy and observation about his thirteen grandchildren. “If I knew how much fun grandchildren would be, I would have had more.” Jack and his wife, Eileen, enjoyed walking through cemeteries. On one occasion, Jack saw an inscription on a gravestone: He went about doing good, everywhere. This became Jack’s mantra in life. The tributes that have filled the internet bear witness to Jack’s success in doing this. It was only much later that he discovered that this was a passage from the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament when St. Peter is talking about Jesus to Cornelius at Caesarea. 

For those who may not have known him, Jack was the motivating force behind the successes of Boston College, Mass General Brigham, and a host of charities and causes around Greater Boston. Camp Harbor View on Long Island is Jack’s creation. It now serves more than 1,000 city kids each summer in a vibrant day camp. As the founder of the Campaign for Catholic Schools, he raised more than $130 million to assist Catholic Schools in Boston. Eileen’s House for Women, a Dorchester residence for women in recovery, exists because of Jack and Eileen Connors. Jack was also a great friend of legendary philanthropist and St. Mary’s High School graduate Bill Connell. Through this association, he also became a benefactor of St. Mary’s. 

Everyone who knew Jack has a Jack story to tell. What they all have in common is Jack’s wit and wisdom. While he gave great speeches and did wonderful things, most of all, Jack made people feel good because, in his eyes, everyone was important, from the CEO of a major corporation to the woman washing a hospital floor. More than a few people have repeated Gov. Healey’s words that “… we won’t see someone like Jack Connors again.”

People like Jack Connors are inspirational. He was a man of character. He never forgot where he came from and used his significant talents and skills to do good for others. In an age that is full of narcissism, name-calling, and egotism, he stands out as an example of what true leadership should be. His moral compass was his guide and helped him negotiate the divisiveness that has become endemic today. Jack brought people together. He taught lessons of generosity and caring by the power of his example. Nor was he bashful in walking away from people with agendas that were not aimed at the common good.  

My personal Jack story took place on the golf course. Ted William had a batting average of .406 in 1941, which is memorialized by the 406 Club at Fenway Park. This means that Williams missed the ball 6 times out of 10, according to Jack. This was his lesson on the importance of having perspective in life and never being defeated by failure. My suspicion is that I was not the only one who went to school on Jack’s insights. 

The world that Jack left behind when he entered eternal life is a world that is hungry for leaders of character who are truthful, generous, honest, and caring. May his memory be an inspiration for us all, especially as we focus on the importance of good leaders in our day.

Msgr. Paul V. Garrity is a senior priest of the Archdiocese of Boston and former pastor at St. Mary’s Church in Lynn.