Charles Connelly Obituary

Charles H. Connelly (Jr.) "Chuck", 94 years old, died on March 1st, 2026 of natural causes in Loveland, CO with family & friends bedside.

Born in Hillsdale, New Jersey to Charles H. Conolly (Sr.) and Elizabeth Connelly in 1932, he enjoyed 65 years of adventures to the end in his marriage with his surviving wife, artist Regina Theresa (Bardauskas) Connelly, once a legal-secretary w/ Chicago law firm Lord Bissell & Brooks (Nuremberg trials).

After high school he was self educated in newspaper typesetting, printing, & editing, and worked in welding fabrication. Enlisted in the Pennsylvania Dutch Army National Guard, achieved Master Sergeant rank and was a decorated marksman. Employed his Civilian Private Pilots License as a welding supplies distributor for Forney industries throughout the midwest. Travelled to Japan and Hawaii as a member and consulting expert on micro-pulse welding c/o the American Welding Society. Entrepreneur of small businesses in Fort Collins: Western American Sports Products, Futec, Arcon, and Pescatarian Treasures. He won government research grants to explore micro-pulse welding, acting as visionary, engineer, draughtsman, fabricator and salesman.

Charles waterskied and snow skied w/ Robert F Kennedy joining his Campaign, while Regina helped his pregnant wife Ethel Kennedy. He took ski lessons as soon as he met Regina at a party - to court his sweet heart, and filmed himself doing a front flip on skiis the same year.

He lent his size 12 roller skates to an intoxicated Yankees baseball player Mickey Mantel, watched him trash a hotel ballroom after hours in Chicago, and could pirouette spin on roller-skates leaving onlookers and family agog.

Supported Regina's art, tour guiding every painting in the house, providing studio space, attending openings, built displays & frames.Creatively pioneered alternative x-mas tree shapes for holiday parties, he hired Archi Ulm to play the family organ, and made sought-after mulled wine.

In 1980 Chuck & Regina planned thee epic family vacation to Alaska, knowing their 4 teenagers were rearing to leave the home nest. A year in advance he subscribed to Alaska and Milepost magazines to research sights, routes, weather, fly-fishing, and tourist highlights. He assembled a spectacular multi-trailer caravan made up of a Suburban pulling a 26' Argosy trailer which was pulling a 14' john boat!!! 6 people in a truck under 2 canoes, minibike on the front, gold dust pans, cameras, guns, fishing rods, adventure gear, it was a sight to stare upon.

The charter for Halibut was astonishing, visits w/ island artists w/ pet seal - thrilling, panned for Yukon gold, rescued travelers driven off of the road.

On the return leg through British Columbia Chuck & Reg decided rather than drive through those mountains in poor weather, their kids needed more space to do their own thing, so we dog legged over to the coast and took a ferry South, and everyone spread out for the cruise.

Remembered for his Big-Fish story telling with passionate flair ups, and minute details i.e. full names, dates, and context from decades past.

Frequent submitter of mischeivious counterpoint editorials to local newspapers, avid reader, civil war researcher, jazz collector, he wrote & memorized poems. Charles was a martini connoisseur, loved Oysters Rockefeller, pigs feet, liverwurst on a triscuit, cheesecake, chocolate ice cream, and especially a good story well told.

He called Brooklyn, Northern New Jersey, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Fort collins, home in series.

Also survived by siblings Jean (Binaghi) C. (Ron d.), and Sharon (Chimochowski) C. = (Ray d.). and Kenny C. and children Alan Connelly his wife Maureen Maniatis and daughter Shelly Connelly and companion Jared Atencio, and great great grandson McClain. Daughters Cathleen Connelly and companion Jeff and Beverly Connelly and companion Sean M., and son Howard Connelly and companion Adrianna A.

Preceded in death by siblings Joan, James, and Richard.

In lieu of flowers, donations to: Doctors Without Borders, or in honor of his poem about the "Children of Ukraine" to any antiwar organization - would be an appropriate tribute.