Robert Wilcox Connell, age 91, formerly of Lilesville, N.C., and Hillsdale, N.Y., passed away from natural cause on Saturday, July 11, 2015, at the NC State Veterans Home. Mr. Connell was born July 26, 1923 in Schenectady, N.Y., the son of the late Ora Belle Wilcox Connell and Amos Clarendon Connell. Bob was a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps serving in the South Pacific and occupied Japan during World War II. Upon returning after the war he completed his education in Animal Husbandry at Michigan State earning a Bachelor's degree from Michigan State in Animal Husbandry. While a student at Michigan State, he was very active while at college and played football for the Michigan Wolverines. After graduation he took his first job as a farm manager for Armand Hammer raising purebred Black Angus cattle, a career he pursued with many successes for 62 years. On June 10, 1950, he married Rosemary Ann Brock of Kansas City, Mo., who preceded him in death on May 10, 1992. He and Rosemary raised seven children together, and Bob was lucky to get to know his seven grandchildren and three of his seven great-grandchildren. He was active his entire life personally managing his two farms in Wadesboro and Lilesville until he became incapacitated in June of 2011. He was a diehard Yankees fan, and also followed the N.Y. Jets. He loved debating politics with his children and friends; and in later life he loved music and playing Bingo at the VA home where he was everyone's friend. Bob was a communicant of Sacred Heart Catholic Church of Wadesboro and Our Lady of Hope in Copake Falls; and he was a member of VFW in Copake, N.Y. Those left to cherish his memory are his children, Elizabeth Connell of Salisbury, Kathleen Connell of LaVerne, Calif., Patricia Connell of Salisbury, Colleen Simo and her husband Raymond of S. Egremont, Mass., Rosemary McCullough and her husband, Carl of Waterloo, N.Y., Robert Wilcox Connell, Jr. of Albany, N.Y., and Timothy Connell of Dalton, Ga. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Jessica Simo and her husband, Mark Sochaski, Vanessa Simo and her husband, Shawn Dennis, Brittany Davrichvili-Simo and her husband, Vato Davrichachvili, Anthony Connell, Rosie Connell, Shannon McCullough, Casey McCullough; great-grandchildren Jacob and Mae Sochaski, Olivia and Yohan Davrichachvili and Liam Simo, Oliver and Harrison Dennis. Visitation: 4-7 p.m. Thursday at Peck and Peck Funeral Home in Copake, N.Y. Funeral: 10 a.m. Friday, July 17 at Our Lady of Hope with burial to follow in the church cemetery with full military honors. Memorials: May be made to the Activity Department at the North Carolina State Veterans' Home, 1601 Brenner Ave., Salisbury, NC 28144. Summersett Funeral Home is serving the Connell family. Online condolences may be made at www.summersettfuneralhome.com.
Funeral Home
Summersett Funeral Home, Inc. & Cremation Center - Salisbury
1315 West Innes Street
Salisbury, NC 28144
(704) 633-2111 Funeral Home Details
Send Flowers
Published in Salisbury Post on July 15, 2015