John J. Conneely

Mr. John J. Conneely, of Waltham, passed away Tuesday, June 27, 2023 in Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He was surrounded by his loving family who brought him peace in his final hours. He was 78.

John was born in Quincy on March 7, 1945, the son of the late John and Dorothy (Rogers) Conneely.  He was raised in Braintree; he graduated from Braintree High School and continued his studies at the Art Institute of Boston.

He married Linda Provo in 1980, and they moved to Waltham where they have been residents in historic homes on Beaver Street. On July 5 they would have celebrated forty-three wonderful years together.

John worked in several career fields: commercial art and photography, woodworking, and home building/renovations. He was a particularly talented golf club builder and technician. John and Linda owned The Golf Express on Lexington Street and on Main Street for fifteen years. They enjoyed serving the community of golfers including Raytheon and Polaroid players. John's art and photography resurfaced as he learned to navigate digital tools. He restored photos and created many photo books with his expert editing skills. John's home studio was his favorite place in recent years. He loved creating new art work and incorporating digital elements, while listening to Eric Clapton tunes.  His studio is decorated with many of John's own paintings and drawings.

John also worked at the RTN Federal Credit Union in Waltham, and following retirement he worked at the deli at Market Basket where he enjoyed becoming reacquainted with his Waltham golf customers.

John enjoyed playing his bass guitar and participating in open mike nights along Moody Street. He golfed with the Sandy Burr Inner Club and enjoyed the members immensely. John loved his renovated kitchen and cooked up many memorable meals for family and friends. In addition, he and Linda were longtime members of the Piety Corner Club where John served on the board. Together, John and Linda always looked forward to vacationing in Aruba and Bar Harbor, Maine.

In addition to his wife, Linda, he leaves his sister, Jeannette Neill of Brookline; his sisters-in-law, Nancy Skahen of Syracuse, New York and Suzanne Jacobs of Buffalo, New York; his brother-in-law, Joseph Provo (Catherine Mazza) of Dorchester; and many beloved nieces, nephews, and their families. John became reacquainted with his adult cousins (Rogers family) and have had several reunions over the years. They will miss him dearly.

John and Linda have socially adopted two families over the years.  Suresh Vittal and Anna Tranum (Belmont) and their children Alexander (17) and Annika (13). They met Suresh while he attended Bentley University. They also loved the Costa/Toledo family who owned the Via Latina store next to the Main Street location of The Golf Express. Alex Costa and Geisa Toledo and their children Pedro (23) and Clara (22) have been family for many years. Although they relocated back to Brazil, they have all traveled together in Aruba and Canada. Both families have brought countless joy and love to John and Linda.

John's loved ones and friends will remember him for his sense of humor, his many interests and talents, his creativity and curiosity, and his generosity of spirit.  He lived life with joy and passion and will always have a place in their hearts. He will be sorely missed by his favorite canine, Dunkin, who gave the best hugs and hours of comfort.

Family and friends will celebrate John’s life by gathering for calling hours at The Joyce Funeral Home, 245 Main Street (Rte. 20), Waltham, on Sunday, July 2^nd from 2 to 5 p.m. On Monday morning at 9 a.m. the procession will leave from the funeral home to Saint Mary’s Church, 133 School Street, Waltham, where his Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Following cremation, burial will take place in Lake Placid, New York in the late summer.

To view the live broadcast (and recording) of John's Mass please visit my.gather.app/remember/john-conneely

Memorial donations may be made to Save-A-Dog, 604 Boston Post Road, Sudbury, Massachusetts 01776 or by visiting www.SaveADog.org