William "Bill" Connolly

William (“Bill”) Connolly of Toledo, Ohio passed away peacefully surrounded by his loved
ones at Kingston Care Center on July 5, 2024, eight days before his 80th birthday.

Bill was born in Toledo, Ohio and attended St. Francis High School and the University of
Toledo. After proudly serving in the Ohio National Guard, Bill built a successful painting
contracting business, and his clients and fellow contractors knew him for his professionalism
and exacting attention to detail. Later in life, he worked at the University of Toledo where his
congenial nature and good cheer made him a favorite among his colleagues.

Bill’s many interests and pastimes included spending time with family - attending his
grandkids’ and nephews’ sports events, enjoying special meals with his brother and sister,
and visiting family members across the country, including South Dakota, California, Oregon,
Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Washington, D.C.

Bill was a lover of music - as a listener, collector, and a performer. A huge fan of Emmylou
Harris and Linda Ronstadt, his tastes ranged wide, from Broadway musicals, to folk music to
classical. Nothing made him happier than identifying an esoteric “B-side” song or pulling a
little-known title from his CD collection. Not content to just listen, Bill got on the stage with
the Blessed Sacrament Players and relished playing the role of Nathan Detroit in the group’s
performance of “Guys and Dolls.” He also learned to play the ukulele in later years to keep
his Parkinson’s Disease symptoms at bay.

Sports were also a big part of Bill’s life. A proud alumnus, he frequented UT Rockets football
and basketball games (and tailgate parties) and enjoyed rooting for the Detroit Tigers and the
OSU football team. A lifelong Boston Celtics fan, he was thrilled when they secured their 18 th
NBA championship title in June 2024. Bill not only watched the golf greats on TV, but got out
on the course himself where he encouraged his fellow players to “hit ‘em straight.” Bill was
also an avid bicyclist who completed several TOSRV (Tour of the Sciota River Valley) rides
with his wife Linda and many friends and family members. The largest cycling event in the
U.S., TOSRV is a test of courage in which cyclists complete a 210-mile round-trip ride
between Columbus and Portsmouth, Ohio over the span of two days. Bill loved it.

In later years, Bill’s Parkinson’s Disease prompted him to take up boxing at Coach
Cummins’ International Boxing Club. He made many new friends there and brought his
skills back to Traditions of West Park Place where he was excited to share what he had
learned with his fellow residents. At Traditions, he worked with the activities director to bring
more programming and amenities for the residents to enjoy, including a pool table.

Before moving to Traditions, Bill loved living in downtown Toledo, where he enjoyed walking
to restaurants and bars, volunteering at the Maumee River Middlegrounds Metropark and
playing pool and having (one) beer with friends at the Maumee Bay Brewing Co. Other
favorites included (in no particular order): magic tricks, Werner Herzog films, telling jokes,
philosophical discussions, a big plate of liver and onions, history, chili dogs, reading
(especially the Master & amp; Commander series), discussing sports and enjoying desserts.

Bill was preceded in death by parents Jerry and Hilda Connolly and son Jay Smith. He is
survived by his wife of 39 years, Linda Lee Hanover Connolly; daughter Erin (John)
Garbarino; sons Devin (Erin) Connolly and TJ (Kristin) Smith; sister Sue (Dave) Grochowski;
brother Kevin (Barbara) Connolly; grandchildren Sean and Aiden Connolly, Ronan
and Julia Garbarino; nephews Justin Forman and Ryan, Shane and Brendan Connolly;
and Stoiber family ,cousins Bill, Kathy, Dave and Rob. Bill is also lovingly remembered by
many friends, neighbors, co-workers, community members and others whose lives he touched.

A Celebration of Life service will be held for friends and family at Waterside Sylvania Club House, 3933 Windward Drive, Sylvania, OH 43560 from 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.  Sharing of memories will begin at 3:00 p.m.

Memorial tributes in Bill’s honor may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for
Parkinson’s Research. (Go to michaeljfox.org for more information.)

To share a memory of William or leave a special message for his family, please visit the guestbook below.