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HAMPTON — Ian Frederick Wolfgang Connolly, 40, of Windy Hill Rd., died Aug. 6, 2022, in Hartford Hospital. Ian went into the hospital on April 19, 2022, with strangulated intestines from a hernia, and after eight surgeries he returned home on June 7. Ian was recovering well before his unexpected passing.
Ian was born in Beverly, Mass., the son of Frederick T. Connolly and Madeleine A. Desroches of Pomfret. Ian, nicknamed “EZE”, graduated from Putnam High School where he was a member of the Putnam Clippers football team. He attended UConn at Avery Point for a year to study marine sciences, then left to join the workforce and buy his first house at age 20.
Ian was a dedicated telecommunicator (dispatcher) for the East Hartford Police and Fire Department for 18 years where he answered 911 calls. Although he worked full time, he also built playscapes for Cedar Works of Maine, and was a court process server.
Ian was easy to be around and made connections with all types of people. He was highly dedicated to his family, friends, and job; and was generous with his time and efforts. Ian was innovative and had a talent for finding solutions to problems; he was tough and would rarely complain; he was fun-loving and always eager to initiate a good time. He loved the backwoods life and enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping, scuba diving, backpacking, skiing, cooking, traveling, playing cards, betting horse races, pulling pranks, and had recently taken up playing the harmonica. His favorite things to watch as a child were He-Man, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. As an adult his favorite “Christmas movie” was Die Hard, and he frequently watched Hot Tub Time Machine, The Sopranos, and Breaking Bad.
He listened to outlaw country music, and his favorite team for his entire life was the Dallas Cowboys.
He leaves his parents; a sister, Harmonie (Sweet) Jewett of Franklin, Vt.; a brother Devon Connolly of Roanoke, Vir.; and his maternal grandmother, Anne Desroches; uncles, aunts, and cousins, friends, and a “work-family” at the East Hartford Police and Fire Department.
A Celebration of Ian’s Life is from 1 to 4 p.m. Aug. 21 at the Inn at Woodstock Hill, 94 Plaine Hill Rd., Woodstock. Donations: Ian Connolly Community Fund, c/o East Hartford Police Chief, 31 School St., East Hartford, CT 06108. Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.
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