Timothy Joseph Connolly, 85, of Atlanta passed away on March 18, 2023, in Rome, Ga.
Born on June 6, 1937 in Philadelphia, Penn., Tim (also known as T.J. or “Poppa” to his grandchildren and great grandchildren) was the only child of Timothy John Connolly and Agnes Schumacher Connolly.
Connolly
Tim attended Admiral Farragut Academy in Toms River, N.J., and graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1959. He began his career in the real estate department of INA Insurance Company in Philadelphia. While traveling to negotiate office space for INA, he decided to relocate to Atlanta in 1962 to work in the corporate real estate department of Colonial Foods.
In 1967, he joined Tom Cousins and Cousins Properties to create and lead a new division developing retail shopping centers across the country. After a successful tenure, he started Connolly and Company in 1972, developing shopping centers and commercial land. The company, now Connolly Realty Services and currently run by his son, has developed more than 60 projects.
He was active in the community as a board member of the Georgia Board of Community Affairs, the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority and the Georgia Greenspace Program. He was the first contributor to Camp Sunshine and a board member of CURE Childhood Cancer and Leukemia. He was a founding member of the 1818 Club and a Life Member of the Capital City Club.
While work was certainly a passion, family was most important. Tim met the love of his life, Carol Schnurr Connolly, on the steps of the Cathedral of Christ the King in 1962. They married in 1963 at the Cathedral and soon started their family. Tim and Carol recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary and have enjoyed a lifetime of entertaining family and friends while also traveling all over the world. Outside of work, Tim was a private pilot, owning several airplanes. He was also an avid boater cruising up and down the East Coast in his beloved Grand Banks trawler, the Far Horizons.
Tim highly valued education (formal school as well as practical lessons) for children, grandchildren and even extended family.
Tim is survived by his wife Carol, children Tim Connolly II [“J.R.”] (Mary); Carolyn [Lyn] Schaffer (Bob); and Maryann O’Connor (Ed); grandchildren David Connolly (Michelle), Meghan Schmidt (Garrett), Erin Connolly, Kate Connolly, Maggie Schaffer, Bobby Schaffer, Caroline Schaffer, Joey O’Connor, Ryan O’Connor; and great grandchildren Owen Connolly and Elliott Schmidt.
A Funeral Mass will be held at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta on Wednesday March 22, at 10 a.m., with Monsignor Frank McNamee officiating. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the scholarship funds of Marist School, Christ the King School, Camp Sunshine or CURE Childhood Cancer and Leukemia.
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