Paul Francis Connolly

Paul Francis Connolly, 84, died Tuesday, May 7, 2024 at Community Hospice House in Merrimack, New Hampshire. Born April 29, 1940 in Waltham, Massachusetts, Paul was the son of Michael Connolly and Margrette Mulkerins, and brother to older siblings Michael and James.

In 1962, Paul married his high-school sweetheart Frances Dolloff, and the couple had three sons: Sean, Timothy, and Patrick. Shortly after getting married, Paul enlisted in the US Navy, where he served as a submariner from 1962 – 64 aboard the USS Triton, one of the navy’s first nuclear-powered submarines, earning the rank of Torpedoman (TM3 E4). After completing active duty, Paul was recommended for reenlistment but chose to enter the naval reserve so he could spend more time with his family. Paul and Frances separated in 1975 but remained lifelong friends.

After leaving the service, Paul worked at the Fore River shipyard in Quincy Massachusetts and later as a manager for a consumer electronics company. He was a quick study in whatever job he held, including working for Lotus Software and other tech firms in the Boston area.

In 1991, Paul married Barbara Dullea Connolly. Together they made a home in a renovated 18th century farmhouse in Nashua, New Hampshire, sharing their old house with numerous adopted cats and two rescued golden retrievers. They were together until Barbara’s death in January 2024.

Paul was a sincere Catholic who put his faith into practice throughout his life, balancing his employment in the private sector with compassionate work in a drug/alcohol rehab facility and, in his last job before retirement, as a health aid for mentally disabled adults. In an auspicious turn of fate, the hospice facility where Paul received care at the end of his life turned out to be the same place where he’d worked as a volunteer some 20 years previous.

Paul is predeceased by his oldest brother Michael. He is survived by his sons Sean, Timothy, and Patrick; his older brother James; and his first wife, Frances.

A memorial service is tentatively scheduled for late June at Boscawen Veterans Cemetery in Boscawen, New Hampshire.