Mary Conneely

Mary Conneely, 77, of Chicago, died on June 24, 2025. She was daughter to the late William J. & Norah Conneely and sister to the late William P.  Mary worked as a preschool teacher in the Chicago Public Schools where she brought joy to countless children and their parents. Mary held family close and spent precious hours with her cherished cousins. Mary was a friend extraordinaire. She had a gift of making every person she spoke to feel important and she was loved by many from childhood friends to people she just met. Mary sang with the DePaul Community Chorus and volunteered at the Garfield Park Conservatory in the lily pond. She was a devoted patron of the arts, world traveler, reader, and puppeteer.  Mary lived life to the fullest; her enthusiasm was infectious.  When Mary was faced with life’s obstacles, she found ways forward. When diagnosed with breast cancer, she became an active member of Recovery on Water(ROW). A memorial visitation will be held on Monday, July 7, 2025, from 10am until time of memorial service, 11:30am, at Smith-Corcoran Funeral Home, 6150 N. Cicero Ave., Chicago. Interment Graceland Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to ROW, recoveryonwater.org, or a charity of your choice. For info, 773-736-3833.