Obituary of MSgt. Joseph Connelly

Mr. Laurie Joseph Connelly passed away peacefully with his family at his side on September 26, 2010 at the Veterans Hospital in Columbia, SC. He was born on August 23, 1943 in Bamberg, SC. He was the son of the late Laurie Aaron Connelly and Margaret Myrtis Folk-Connelly. He graduated from Chicora High School in1961and joined the USAF later that year. He started his military career in Vanderbilt, CA and followed with five years with NATO in France and the Netherlands. He later worked with the ROTC program at the University of South Carolina. He then worked with the AWAC program at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma, testing and evaluating the AWAC plane. He retired in Clovis, NM in 1982. Joe worked for the City of Columbia Police Department as the supervisor of the evidence room for ten years. Mr. Connelly was a big fan of University of South Carolina football. He was also an avid NASCAR fan. He is survived by his loving wife of 44 years, Catherine M. Connelly; a daughter, Laurie Lynn Connelly (husband Junior) and daughter, Kellie Dawson (husband Sandy), Five Grandchildren, Brittany Elizabeth Dawson, Matthew Alexander Dawson, Megan Bree Dawson, Joseph Michael Watson and Joshua Langley Watson. He is also survived by two brothers Melvin Connelly, Billy Connelly and a sister Myrtis Easterlin. The family will welcome friends at Greenlawn Funeral Home on Thursday, September 30th, 2010 from 11:30 a.m. ? 12:30 p.m. for visitation. The graveside service with full military honors will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday in Fort Jackson National Cemetery. Guests are encouraged to visit the family?s home immediately after to celebrate his life. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Wounded Warrior Program www.woundedwarriorproject.org.