Obituary of Joseph Stuart Connolly

Died peacefully after a brief illness surrounded by family. Survived by children, Stuart (Elaine Gordon, Katie, Joseph, Benjamin, Adam), Jennifer (Ken Hugessen, Arlo, Natasha, Marylou, Adriana), John (Kim Turner, Sophia, Isabel, Thomas), and by sister, Anne Le Feuvre. Pre-deceased by parents, Stuart and Bessie Connolly and brother, Robert. Joe was born into a large, loving family in Montreal. Boyhood summers were spent at Sydenham Lake not far from the family’s Irish and UEL roots in Yarker, Ontario. He attended Lower Canada College, graduated from McGill University, fell in love and married Jean Donnelly in 1944. They spent 70 perfect years dancing to Cole Porter. Joe worked in the family’s women’s wear manufacturing and retail business with his brother Robert, building D’Allairds into a successful cross-Canada retailing chain. After selling the business to UK retail giant Marks &Spencer in 1972 Joe embarked upon his 2^nd career: painting. After completing a BFA at Concordia University Joe created large colour-field paintings at studios in Montreal’s east end, often shared with other artists. Over time abstraction morphed into his beloved Metis garden’s riot of colour and light. Although Joe’s canvases hang in collections across North America and Europe, this remarkably modest man was thrilled to mount his first solo show at Twist Gallery in Toronto in 2016. Joseph was a Renaissance man, gallant, generous and blessed with an insatiable curiosity about the world, reading widely from QED to SPQR. Past president of the Cascades Golf and Tennis Club; long-time member of the Mount Bruno and Royal Montreal Golf Clubs; director of Mount Royal Cemetery; debater at the Twenty Club; collector and patron of the arts/Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Symphonie et Opera de Montreal, TSO and COC in Toronto; alpine skier, Francophile, marmalade maker. Joe’s gardens in Montreal and his summer home in Metis-sur-Mer were admired for their beauty. Joe had a quick intelligence, warm smile and a gentle manner. All who encountered Joe were entranced by his kindness, geniality and openness to new ideas. His heart was full, his devotion to family great, his spirit enduring. He will be sorely missed. Funeral Service will be on October 30, 2:00 pm at Grace Church on-the-Hill, 300 Lonsdale Road, Toronto. Reception to follow the funeral service at The York Club, 135 St. George St., Toronto. Visitation at Humphrey Funeral Home on October 29, 7:00 – 9:00 pm, 1403 Bayview Avenue, Toronto. A private internment will follow at Mount Royal Cemetery in Montreal.