Harold Wayne Connell

Wayne was born on March 14, 1936, in Peoria, IL to Edgar and Cecelia (Morrisey) Connell. Surviving are his wife, Kay of Arlington Heights; his four children Emmi (Sam) McAdams of Bloomingdale, Patricia (Toney) Wilkerson of Rochester Hills, MI, Daniel Connell of Syracuse, IN, and Timothy Connell of Rolling Meadows; six grandchildren, Alexis McAdams, Benjamin McAdams, Kyle Garland, Sean Garland, Steven Wilkerson, Michael Wilkerson; brother Paul Connell of Peoria, sister Kay Reeser of Morton; and many nieces and nephews.

Wayne grew up helping out on the family farm. He often shared the story that during World War II his elementary school was highlighted in the national media for picking the most milkweed pods per capita that were later used in the making of life jackets for the US Navy. Later in life Wayne enlisted in the Marine reserves for eight years and was honorably discharged.

After the marines, Wayne completed his bachelor’s degree at Illinois State University, taught middle school math for a few years in central Illinois, then moved up to the Chicagoland area where he started a 51-year high school teaching career with Maine Township High School District 207. He completed his Master’s in Education at University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana while teaching industrial arts and drivers education first at Maine West High School in Des Plaines and then Maine East High School in Park Ridge. During his teaching career he served as chess team coach, women’s archery coach, class sponsor, and assistant football coach. While walking home from work he would have a chance encounter with a man putting on a roof and saw a good way for him to bring in supplemental income and would start his own roofing company that would last 25 years. Wayne had a plethora of flannel shirts that were in regular rotation. In winters he could be seen in layers of flannel. A constant accessory was his pocket protector with sharp two #2 pencils, one blue pen and some form of paper to write on.

Wayne met his wife, Kay, not soon after moving up north at a Catholic singles event and were married June 21, 1969, at Visitation Catholic Church in Elmhurst. They were married for 51 years. They raised their four children in Des Plaines.

Wayne loved the outdoors. He loved camping and canoeing, went on back pack trips to Isle Royale and proved that you’re never too old to try new things by learning how to kayak in his sixties. During the last eight years in retirement, Wayne enjoyed growing tomatoes and green beans in his raised garden bed and volunteering as the wood shop supervisor at the Arlington Heights Senior Center.

A private Mass of Catholic Burial for family only will be held on Wednesday, December 30, 2020, at St. James Catholic Church, 831 N Arlington Heights Road in Arlington Heights.The funeral mass will be livestreamed and the stream will begin at 9:50 AM and will be accessible at the following location: http://www.stjamesah.org. Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (www.stjude.org).