Anna Connelly, 74, of New Bedford passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, August 31, 2016 at home. She was the widow of James Connelly, deceased since 2012. A lifelong resident of New Bedford, Anna grew up on and around Thompson Street in the South End, attending Mount Carmel Elementary School and New Bedford High School.
Anna held a number of retail, administrative, and accounting jobs throughout her working life, finishing her professional career in the accounting department at St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford. Forced into early retirement at the age of 49, after surviving multiple brain aneurisms, Anna spent the last quarter of her life in indispensable service to her three daughters and seven grandchildren, and as a surrogate grandmother to many more. A longtime active parishioner of St. John the Baptist Church, school board member at St. James-St. John Elementary School, and volunteer at Bishop Stang High School, Anna was a passionate music and pop culture fan—with her tastes running from 50’s-era crooners to contemporary pop stars like Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga. She was an obsessive “Wheel” and “Jeopardy” watcher, and the most loving and devoted daughter, mother, sister, wife, and Grammy imaginable.
She is survived by three daughters, Elizabeth Connelly-Sylvia and her husband Bruce Sylvia, Christina Connelly and her husband Sean Moriarty, and Kathryn Politano and her husband David, all of New Bedford; seven grandchildren, Althea, Maya, Cameron, Liam, Eva, James Maxwell, and Nora; a sister Mary Rose Vieira; nieces Ann Curry and Rose Miller, and nephew Anthony Vieira.
She was the daughter of the late Bernardino and Emilia (Rodrigues) Rosa and sister of the late Ana Rosa, Ernest Rodrigues, Alfred Rosa, and Bernardino C. Rosa, Jr.
Her Funeral Mass will celebrated on Monday at 10:30am at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. Visiting hours will be on Sunday from 4-7 PM at the Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals, 495 Park St., New Bedford. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the Boys and Girls Club of New Bedford, 166 Jenney St., New Bedford, MA 02740. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.