Hugh Connolly

David Hugh Connolly, 93, died peacefully at home May 8, 2022. He was born on October 19, 1928, in Highland Park, Michigan, to Roy Titus Connolly and Marie Murray Connolly. He was a graduate of Cranbrook Preparatory School and in 1950 received his bachelor’s degree from Allegheny College where he received the Mulfinger Prize for English.

He served in the United States Army as a commissioned officer from 1950 to 1953. While stationed at Fort Gordon, Georgia, he met his future bride Nancy Cumming of Augusta. They married on September 12, 1953, and he made Augusta his home.

After briefly working as reporter for the Augusta Chronicle, he attended law school at the University of Georgia and graduated cum laude in 1957. During law school, he was Editor-in-Chief of the Student Editorial Board, a member of the Honor Court, and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He and Nancy returned to Augusta where he joined his father-in-law’s law firm, Cumming, Nixon, Eve, Waller & Capers.

Although he remained a member of the Georgia Bar, his career path would take him into the business world. In 1966, he became vice-president of Sherman & Hemstreet, Inc, a local real estate firm of which he would later become president and co-owner in 1973. He also served as vice-president at Georgia Railroad Bank and Trust Company, and executive vice president of its parent company First Railroad & Banking Company of Georgia. He was a member of First Railroad’s Board of Directors as well as that of First Union Corporation after that company’s purchase of First Railroad..

But perhaps his greatest interest and satisfaction stemmed from real estate development and rehabilitation of economically depressed areas in and around Augusta. Connolly’s focus was not on profit but to improve the economic and aesthetic condition of Augusta. This focus was best illustrated by the non-profit Augusta Tomorrow, Inc., a corporation of which he was a founder and first president. Organized in 1982, the company was a joint venture between the City of Augusta and private businesses established to revitalize downtown Augusta that had suffered economically in the 1970s and early 1980s. The partnership not only rehabilitated depressed and under-utilized buildings but succeeded in opening up Augusta’s riverfront for public use and recreation.

Similarly, Connolly led the effort to create the Augusta Canal Authority, on whose board he served. The authority was central to the developing the historic Augusta Canal and surrounding area into a public space for the Augusta community. Thanks to these efforts the Augusta Canal was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

Connolly’s contributions to improving the quality of life in Augusta went beyond real estate. He was a member of the National Science Center for Communication and Electronics Foundation, Inc., served on the Board of Directors for the Greater Arts Council and the Walter L. Shepeard Community Blood Center, Inc., and was president of Historic Augusta, Inc. and the Augusta Symphony League to name just a few. Additionally, he was a founding board member of the Senior Citizens Council of Augusta-Richmond County, a trustee of the Gertrude Herbert Memorial Institute of Art, and a member of the Downtown Development Authority for the City of Augusta and the Augusta Canal Authority. He took particular pride in participating in the planning and construction of the new Augusta Library in 2010, serving at one point as chair of the Architectural and Site Selection Committee.

The medical business community benefitted as well from his knowledge and skills, especially St. Joseph’s Hospital, St. Joseph Center for Life, Inc., and their parent company Carondelet Health System, Inc. In each of those institutions, Connolly sat on their Boards of Directors, and often was elected as either vice-chair or board chair.

In these and other activities, Hugh Connolly exemplified the concept of civic virtue, the idea that the interests of the community come first. He believed in offering his experience and talents not for personal advancement or accolades but for the good that would come from improving his adopted hometown for the benefit of all its citizens. His efforts were a reflection of those beliefs. These contributions were recognized by the community. In 1992, he and his wife Nancy received the first Angel Award presented by the Sacred Heart Cultural Center and the CSRA Girl Scout Council. The Augusta Bar Association honored his service presenting him with the Liberty Bell Award in 1995. Carondelet Health System, Inc, gave him the Sister Mary Kevin Ford Award in 2000.

Hugh Connolly was a member of the Augusta Country Club, its board of governors, and served as president from 1981-1982, Additionally, he was a member of the Augusta Assembly of which he was treasurer for several years. As a member of the Church of the Good Shepherd he was elected to the vestry and also held, in succession, the positions of junior and senior warden.

He was preceded in death by Nancy, his wife of 50 years, in 2003. He is survived by children: David H. Connolly, Jr. (Harriet), Virginia C. McNutt (Tim), Thomas C Connolly (Etta), Nancy C. Tribble (Jack), Jane C. Leonard, and Lucy C. Shuler, grandchildren: Katharine Sykes, Hugh Sykes, Thomas C. Connolly, Jr. (Lauren), Vaughn Connolly, Nancy T. Ralston (Harris), William J. Tribble, Virginia T. Anderson (David), Hank Leonard, Janie Leonard, Jack Shuler, David Shuler, and three great-grandchildren: Sadie R.L. Connolly, Thomas C. Connolly, III, and Jane C. Ralston, as well as a number of nieces and nephews.

The family would like to recognize and thank the caregivers: Cynthia Meriweather, Brittany Meriweather, and Ronda Pitts for the comfort and kindness they provided to Mr. Connolly. Similarly, the family extends their thanks to son-in-law Woody Shuler for the pleasant and meaningful companionship he offered to our father over the years but most especially during his final days.

A visitation will be held Friday, May 13, 2022, at 2225 Cumming Road from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. A graveside funeral follows on Saturday, May 14, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. at Summerville Cemetery, Cumming Road, Augusta, Georgia.