James Connelly

Passed away at home on November 05, 2020 of heart failure. He was born and raised in Chicago, IL, later moving to Shawnee, KS where he attained his BSEE degree. After college, Jim formed his own company and moved around the country for many years consulting as an Electrical Engineer until he landed at 3M in MN.  He met his future wife of 35 years, Kathy, and never moved again.  Jim enjoyed all sports, but especially baseball.  Out of high school, Jim was asked to tryout for the Chicago White Sox, but opted out for college instead. In his later years, his passion for playing sports led to his passion of coaching.  Jim loved coaching his son’s Mahtomedi baseball, football and basketball teams. If Jim wasn’t coaching, you would likely find him in his garage, yard or vegetable garden, all of which he was extremely proud of. If you were friends of Jim’s son, Joe, you likely knew about his jerky and pickling skills. Don’t worry, he left us the recipes. Lastly, Jim enjoyed long road trips to either his property in Beaver Island, MI, where he loved to fish for largemouth bass, or to Galveston, TX where he enjoyed going deep sea fishing.  No matter the route, he was sure to visit many casinos along the way. Jim is preceded in death by his parents, Forrest and Leanne. Survived by his wife, Kathy; and son, Joseph (Anna).  A celebration of his life will be held next summer.