Reflection #31 (Only 1045 to go!): The Omen

     For more than 40 years, one of my best friends on the Ignatius faculty has been Jim Connelly.  I can almost hear some of you, who knew both of us, say, "You have got to be kidding!" What can I tell you? No accounting for taste...on either of our parts. Where I tended to have a laissez faire (French for "fairly laz...er...ah...laid back") approach to teaching and coaching, Jim is a "by the book" kind of guy. "Be in your seat when the bell rings; don't tell me you have A.D.D. You're either an Ignatius student or you're not." I think a good "model" of what he is like is seen in the movie "Stand and Deliver". If you haven't seen it, it's worth a look.      Pat O'Mara, also one of the "giants" at Ignatius, always had the deepest respect for Jim. No matter how tough Jim seemed to be, the students knew what was expected and he always gave the students, even the weaker ones, a way to succeed.
     Jim tends to be a private person, and I was reluctant to write a "reminiscence" about him because I didn't want to disclose anything too personal.  "You can't un-ring a bell".   Mary Jo and I are close friends with Jim and Sue, and last week we met for dinner.   Sue told us that their daughter Mary ('87) reads my "reminiscences" and enjoys them. (Hey, Mary! How are things goin'?)   Anyway, I take that as an omen, so I throw caution to the wind and write about her dad.
     The basis for our friendship, I think, has been our trust in one another.  With Jim, you know exactly what you'll get.   He does not "broadcast" his private life, but you don't have to know him for very long before you become aware of how he sees the world.   In the interest of full disclosure, I don't always see things in the same way.   He and I don't argue about our respective view points, but we are open with each when the occasion arises.
     Jim's bio isn't all that unique for a teacher.  Jesuit high school in New York City, Notre Dame degree in civil engineering, taught at De La Salle "Institute", before coming to Saint Ignatius in 1967, where he taught math and social studies and coached track and cross country until he retired a couple of years ago.
     Jim and Sue have been married well over 50 years.  (Apologies, Sue, for putting the word "well" in there.)
Things become more interesting when I tell you that they have 15 children, biological and adopted, and have been foster-parents for a slew of other children. Describing Jim Connelly without mentioning his family would be like trying to understand him by looking at his shadow on a wall.
     To add some texture to his image, he is a staunch Catholic, patriot and family man...a good man.  The real proof of the influence that Jim and Sue have had on their children is that 3 of the 15 are officers in the armed forces,  one is married to an FBI agent and one is going into the priesthood.   Through their efforts in providing a loving, caring home for so many children, both Jim and Sue have been awarded the Dei Gloriam Award from St. Ignatius and the Family Exemplar Award from Notre Dame University.
     Each time that I've written a blog about a person, I've tried to find one or more adjectives that help to describe that person. A word, possibly the first word, that comes to mind when I think of Jim is "courage". I have never known him to back down from saying or doing something that he felt was right no matter what the possible consequences. He would never let an injustice or a wrong go unaddressed.
     Over the years, Jim has stirred passion in students, both positive and negative. I've known students who would "run through brick walls" for him and those for whom his style was, perhaps, more rigid than they would have liked.  My kids loved Mr. Connelly; often their friends were...shall we say "anxious".
     For my part, thanks, Jim, for being my friend.