Jack Connors, a Boston philanthropist, advertising magnate and political powerbroker, died Tuesday of cancer, according to The Boston Globe.
His death prompted an outpouring of tributes from politicians to business and religious leaders.
“Massachusetts lost a champion today and I have lost a friend,” said Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey. “Jack Connors was a leader in business, but his most lasting legacy will come from his generosity and philanthropy. Jack spent his life trying to make Massachusetts and this country a more just and inclusive place — and he succeeded. From the founding of Camp Harbor View to his advocacy for education, health care and community, Jack’s legacy will live on through the countless lives he changed. We all owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Jack Connors. My deepest condolences go out to his wife, Eilleen, his children, his grandchildren and his many devoted family members and friends.”
Cardinal Sean O’Malley also issued a statement praising Connors’ “life of civic leadership and Christian generosity.”
“Jack Connors has gone to God and left us all with a legacy of a life lived in service to others,” he added. “To his wife Eileen, to his four children and their spouses, and his thirteen grandchildren, I offer my prayers and comfort.”
“Tributes to Jack’s legacy will surely come from many sources, praising his leadership in the world of commerce, his vision of what a good society should look like, and his seemingly endless generosity to others. When I first took office as Archbishop of Boston, Jack offered his assistance, a gift that has been invaluable to the Church and to me personally over the past twenty years.”
“We have lost a great friend and leader in our shared life in Greater Boston, but we are a better community of neighbors, friends and citizens because he lived and worked among us. May he rest in peace and may his legacy live on.”
Connors was a co-founder of the advertising firm Hill, Holiday, Connors, Cosmopulos, served on various boards and helped create Camp Harbor View, a summer program for high school kids from some of Boston’s poorest neighborhoods.
He has also served as an advisor and fundraiser for a number of prominent politicians in the state, including Healey, former Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, former Boston mayors Thomas Menino and Marty Walsh, and current Mayor Michelle Wu.
Connors said in a 2018 interview with the Boston Business Journal that when he looks back on his life, he feels like he “won the lottery.”
“There’s nothing to suggest that anyone would put me forward as the most likely candidate to succeed,” he said in the interview. “So I like to think that most of my life right now is spent helping people who need help.”
Connors is survived by his wife, a daughter, three sons, and other family members. Funeral arrangements have not been announced.
