Col William John Connolly (Ret)

COL William John Connolly (RET), 78, passed away peacefully in the Howard County General Hospital, Columbia, MD on April 4, 2021. Bill was a decorated veteran who served almost 28 years in the U.S. Army. Bill was born on October 5th, 1942 in Boston, MA to Daniel Blaney Connolly and Eileen Keefe Connolly. During High School, Bill decided he wanted to attend a Military Academy, but not just any Military Academy. He patiently waited for an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, NY, to him the premiere military academy in the U.S. He graduated from this great institution in June of 1965, and commissioned as a U.S. Army Infantry 2nd Lieutenant. He completed Airborne, Infantry Officer Basic Course and Ranger School in quick succession prior to departing for Vietnam with the 173rd Airborne “Sky Soldiers”. While in Vietnam LT Connolly was Company Commander of C Company, 4th Battalion 503rd Airborne Infantry. Charlie Company became known for their action on Hill 875. After serving in Vietnam, now CPT Connolly, became an instructor at the Mountain Phase of the U.S. Army Ranger School in Dahlonega, GA. Bill met and married Janice C. Martin in 1968. After the wedding, their world tour began. Army assignments took the Connolly’s around the globe to exotic locations like Fort Benning, Georgia; University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa; Camp Hovey, South Korea; Fort Benjamin Harrison, IN; Fort Meade, MD; Navy War College, Newport, RI; Vicenza, Italy; Heidelberg, Germany; Goppingen, Germany; Fort Leavenworth, KS; Fort Benning, GA for Battalion Command; USARSO, Panama City, Panama and finally to the office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Finance at the Pentagon, Washington, DC. COL Connolly retired in 1993. After retirement from Active Duty, Bill accepted a position utilizing his secondary Army skillset as a Comptroller by becoming Deputy Financial Manager in the Panama Canal Commission. Bill loved Panama and all of its people. He was one of two government civilians who finalized the transition of the operation of the Panama Canal from U.S. to Panamanian control in December 1999. Bill retired from U.S. Government service after he and a lawyer finalized all U.S. Government legal liabilities for the canal in 2005. During this long and storied career, Ranger Bill became a father of three, William (Fort Benning, GA), Erin (Tuscaloosa, AL) and Sean (Fort Meade, MD). The Connolly family settled in Laurel, MD where Ranger Bill could easily spend time with his adored Grandchildren; Katherine, Aidan and Liam. Bill loved to spend time outdoors fishing and running, which saw him completing the Boston and Marine Corps Marathons, the Infantry Center Half-Marathon and numerous Triathlon’s. Bill was a loving father, a brave and honorable Army Officer, and a solid Senior Executive Service Civilian. He is survived by his wife, Janice, his daughter Erin Kate and his two sons William and Sean. Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Daniel and Eileen Connolly and his brother Daniel. There will be a Private Funeral Mass at Resurrection of Our Lord Roman Catholic Church in Laurel, Maryland on April 12th at 11:00. Due to restrictions related to COVID-19, this service is limited for in-person attendance, therefore the service will be streamed via YouTube for all who wish to attend virtually. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUJImHO_U-4 The Connolly family welcomes any and all stories, photos, and memories that Bill’s friends, family and Military colleagues would like to share. The email for this is ddconnolly2011@gmail.com. They will collect and collate them for use in some manner at Bills inurnment at Arlington National Cemetery. They will notify everyone as soon as they have a confirmed date for the inurnment. Currently the delay is from twelve to eighteen months. Flowers are welcome at Resurrection of Our Lord Roman Catholic Church, 8402 Brock Bridge Rd, Laurel, MD. However, a donation to the Wounded Sky Soldiers Fund would be Bill’s preference. The link to the 173rd Sky Soldier donation portal is: https://skysoldiersfoundation.org/donate/donation-options/wounded-sky-soldiers-fund/