John F. Connolly of Mineola, a retired teacher and school administrator and an accomplished sailor who was well known in the LI Sound sailboat racing community, died Dec. 21, 2001, at age 84.

A 1937 graduate of the College of the Holy Cross, Mr. Connolly received his master's degree from Boston University and won a fellowship to Yale University. He served as a lieutenant in the Army Engineers during WWII and came ashore at Omaha Beach during the Invasion of Normandy. He commanded a unit that cleared mines and built bridges during the liberation of Europe. On July 4, 1943, on leave from the service, he married his high school classmate from Beverly, MA, Elizabeth (Bette) McPherson. After the war he began a teaching career and in 1961 moved to Mineola and joined the science department at Mineola High School. He was a popular teacher and coach for many years and was appointed chairman of the Science Dept. where he served until his retirement in 1982.

As a native of New England's North Shore, he had a sailboat since he was in high school, and continued to be an avid sailor until his death. A member of the Manhasset Bay Yacht Cub and the Cow Bay Racing Association, Mr. Connolly raced in one-design and cruising sailboats. He raced in the National Championships in several classes, including the Sonar Nationals in Larchmont and the Rhodes 19 Nationals in San Francisco, Chicago and Marblehead, MA. Mr. Connolly won the Cow Bay Sonar Championship for the 1982 season, which was the very first year that the Sonar Class raced in the bay and he took first place in Manhasset Bay Race Week in 1991. He was Manhasset Bay Race Committee Chairman for several years and a founding member of the Shields and Sonar fleets.

Mr. Connolly was also a charter member of the Holy Cross College Club of LI, which honored him as Crusader of the Year in 1988 for his efforts on behalf of the college and the local club.

Mr. Connolly is survived by his wife, Bette; and their four children, Sheila Gentile of Kennett Square, PA, John Jr. of Hicksville, Peter of Palm Desert, CA, and Margaret (Peggy) May of Mineola. His oldest child, Ellen, predeceased him. He leaves 12 grandchildren. The family received friends at the Cassidy Funeral Home, Mineola. Funeral Mass at Corpus Christi Church where he was a longtime parishioner. As a veteran of WWII, he was interred at Calverton National Cemetery with a Military Honor Guard.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in his name to the College of the Holy Cross, One College St., Worcester, MA 01610.