MEMORIAL RESOLUTION FOR JOHN KELLY CONNOLLY
WHEREAS, On November 23, 2019, John Kelly Connolly peacefully passed away after a four-year battle with cancer; and
WHEREAS, The City Council has been informed of his passing by the Honorable James M. Gardiner, Alderman ofthe 45th Ward; and
WHEREAS, John was a Chicago actor of the old, Northwest Side school, a storefront thespian with a passion for everything for which such Chicagoans are predisposed to care: the Chicago Bears, the Chicago Cubs, the more authentic of the Chicago hot dogs, and, of course, the inimitable Chicago theater, up close and very personal; and
WHEREAS, John performed throughout Chicago, including with the Griffin Theatre Company, Provision Theatre Company, and The New Colony, but his heart and soul was in Jefferson Park and The Gift Theatre, where he appeared in The Gift's very first show; and
WHEREAS, Of John's many performances, his greatest was surely the world premiere of David Rabe's Good for Otto, where he stole the show as a psychologically troubled character named Timothy, and for which he was nominated for a Joseph Jefferson Award for Actor in a Supporting Role; and
WHEREAS, John was known as a gentle giant and the beating hearT of The Gift, making all of the ensemble feel seen, celebrated, supported, and loved; and
WHEREAS, Despite being diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer, John continued to make hundreds of entrances onto The Gift's stage, where he was surrounded by many generous souls who supported him and cheered him on during his four-year battle; and
WHEREAS, John is survived by his loving siblings Edward, Mary (Kurt Mussman), Thomas (Theresa), and Karen (Peter) Larsen; nieces and nephews Courtney, Liam, Luke, Eleanor, Claire, Mae, and Catherine, and many a fond friend; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, gathered here this fifteenth day of January 2020, do hereby extend our most heartfelt condolences to the family...
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