Those who worked closely with former Westbrook School Superintendent Ed Connolly, who passed away on Saturday, remembered him as a tireless advocate for the students.

Connolly, 72, died in Springfield, Mass., where he had moved with his wife, Carolyn, in recent years. There he lived near his daughter, former City Councilor Jennifer Connolly, and her children.

Connolly had a long career in the Westbrook school system, coming to the city in 1963, continuing a career that began in Kittery in 1955 and continued in Scarborough from 1957 to 1963. During his time in Westbrook, Connolly served as principal of Prides Corner School, the Eastern Division principal, the director of elementary education, the director of curriculum and finally, as superintendent of schools from 1983 until his retirement in 1995.

Even in retirement, Connolly did not leave education. After retiring as Westbrook superintendent, he served as an interim superintendent in both Sanford and Jay.

Assistant Superintendent Mike Kane, who was at the Westbrook Regional Vocational Center while Connolly was superintendent, credits him for making sure that the schools were as good as they could possibly be.

“For a long time, he kept the Westbrook schools at the top,” said Kane.

Former Westbrook Superintendent Bob Hall, who worked with Connolly from 1966 to 1995 and served as Connolly’s assistant superintendent, said Connolly always put the needs of the students first. “I think he was a good superintendent,” said Hall. “With him, every child came first. If he saw something that needed to be done, he would do everything in his power to get it done.”

Kane agreed that with Connolly that the needs of the students came before anything else. “The number one thing for Ed was the kids,” said Kane.

Frank Amoroso, former Westbrook business manager and personal friend of Connolly, remembered Connolly as a strong-willed person who always defended education. “He was sometimes controversial because he really didn’t want to compromise something that was good for children,” said Amoroso. “From that point of view, he was as hard as nails.”

Connolly could be hard on those working with him when it came to defending what he saw as the best interests of the students, but any disagreements were quickly forgotten.

“He was Irish,” Kane remembered with a laugh. “When Ed got excited, you knew it.”

Kane said he remembered Connolly as someone who could be upset at you one day and then forget about it. “The next day, he would be right side-by-side with you. He was a down-to-earth type of guy. His heart would always be in the right place.”

“He was a very fair person,” Hall remembered. “He could have a temper at times, but the next day it was like it hadn’t happened.”

“He was the most compassionate man I ever worked for,” said Amoroso. “His family was extremely important to him. He believed in people helping each other to get things done.”

“He was a really great guy,” said Maggie Wilson, a first-grade teacher at Prides Corner School who worked with Connolly and was also his neighbor for 20 years. “He was opinionated, but he cared about the kids, the staff and the city.”

Hall said he never considered a reprimand from Connolly as anything personal. “The people who worked with him closely knew that it wasn’t anything personal,” said Hall. “He just wore his feelings on his sleeve.”

Amoroso said Connolly set high standards for his school administrators. “Ed demanded excellence from his administrators,” said Amoroso. He said Connolly always expected a great deal from his administrators because he believed that if the administrators were held to a high standard, that attitude would trickle down to the students, and the whole school system would be better as a result.

Amoroso remembered Connolly was also a big believer in supporting students’ efforts outside the classroom as well. He said Connolly would always make it a point to attend school events such as sporting events, art shows, concerts and events like Westbrook Together Days. “Ed was a strong believer in going to all the events in the school system,” said Amoroso.

Amoroso remembers Connolly as a big sports fan – particularly when it came to the Boston Red Sox and the New England Patriots. He remembered recently speaking to Connolly and recalled that Connolly was extremely excited at both teams’ recent championships.

Amoroso said he knew that many people who worked with Connolly and knew him would feel his loss. “He’s going to be missed big time, no doubt about it,” said Amoroso.

A funeral mass for Connolly will be said at the Blais and Hay Funeral Home on Church Street today (May 18) at 11:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, Connolly’s family asks that donations be sent to the Edward F. Connolly Scholarship Fund, c/o Jennifer Connolly, 1103 Liberty St., Springfield, Mass., 01104. The scholarship will be given to a Westbrook High School graduate who plans to pursue a career in education.