Guilford Funeral Home

William (Bill) was predeceased by the love of his life and wife of 52 years, Mary, his beloved son-in-law Bernard Daily, his parents John and Margaret Connolly, sister, Sister Margaret Andre, and brother John Connolly. He leaves to cherish in his memory his five beautiful daughters; Peggy Daly and husband Michael, Eileen Daily, Patricia Cristalli, Maureen Raucci and wife Nicolena Murgo (sixth daughter) and Easter Swartzentruber. William is also survived by his nine grandchildren; Joseph Cristalli and wife Jessica (Pilat), Nicole (Cristalli) and husband Ryan Berg, Timothy Cristalli, Patrick Daily (fiancé Deb Smith), Briana and Lauren Raucci, Michael Daly, Cooper and Olivia Swartzentruber, great grandson Henry Thomas Cristalli; sisters, Dolores Dillon, Peggy Collins and brother Gerard Connolly (Ruth), as well as many nieces and nephews. He dedicated 25 years to Chesebrough Ponds/Unilever, retiring in 1999. Williams’ faith and infinite dedication to his wife and girls was an inspiration to all who knew him. He was a life-long volunteer, most proud of the years he spent as an EMT and IV Tech with the Madison Volunteer Ambulance Association from 1979-1990, Eucharistic Minister at St. George in Guilford, and the Knights of Columbus. Friends are invited to calling hours on Wednesday, March 1, from 5 – 8 pm at the Guilford Funeral Home, 115 Church St., Guilford. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in St. George Church, 33 Whitfield St, Guilford on Thursday, March 2, at 10am. The burial is immediately to follow in Saint George Cemetery, Hubbard Rd, Guilford. In lieu of flowers, contributions in William’s memory may be made either to Saint Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105; or Smilow Closer to Free Bike Ride, c/o Maureen Raucci YNHH Office of Development PO Box 1849, New Haven CT 06508 or online at: https://www.rideclosertofree.o...To send flowers or a remembrance gift to the family of Mr. William Connolly, please visit our Tribute Store. Get free real-time news alerts from the Guilford Patch.

February 24, 2017. He was born on July 18, 1940 to Donald A. Papa Sr. and Emma Novitch Papa and lived his entire life in Guilford, Connecticut.He is survived by his loving and caring wife, Donna Papa, beloved sister, Lois Papa Dudley, loving daughters, Stephanie Papa Battipaglia, Stacey Papa DeMartino, Meredith Papa Eden, their husbands, Joseph, Robert and Ethan, and 9 adored grandchildren, Jacob, Zachary, Hannah, and Sadie Battipaglia, Jordyn, Joshua and Emma DeMartino and William and Maxwell Eden. Having lost his father at age 5, Don valued the love of his mother, sister, and still-growing family more than anything else in his life. Don loved sports and felt fortunate to see his children compete in the classroom and the athletic field, both in high school and college. An avid softball player for 30 years, Don was proud to pitch the first no-hitter in Guilford Little League and play on Guilford’s 1956 Babe Ruth State Championship team. From his early days playing baseball on the Guilford Green through the 2016 season, Don cheered for the Detroit Tigers, especially when they faced off against the Yankees.Don attended Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, where he graduated with a Bachelors in Economics and a Masters in Education. While at Trinity he played baseball and soccer and wrote for the school paper.After Trinity, Don served three years in the US Army, with the Black Horse Armored Cavalry Division. Then he spent three decades in education as a History teacher, administrator and counselor. It was in working with students that he found his true passion and helped generations of students pursue their dreams.In addition to his roles in the classroom, Don served as President of the Killingworth Education Association, Chairman of the Guilford Youth Service Advisory Board, and Chairperson of the Guilford Park and Rec. He was the first girls soccer coach for Daniel Hand and also coached football, boy’s soccer, baseball, softball and basketball, at the youth and high school levels.Don wanted to give special thanks to the talented and dedic...