Mr. John B. Connors

John B. Connors graduated from Franklin Academy as well as Springfield College and received a Master of Physical Education and Education Administration from The Ohio State University. After completing his education, John served in the Army for two years. John married Beverly Gilligan of Watertown, NY in August of 1957 while he was working as a physical education teacher on Long Island. The happy couple returned to Malone to raise a family of five children and run the family business, Connors Oil. After retirement, John enjoyed spending time with grandchildren Ian (Brian), Kaeley (Nate), Keagan (Caroline), and Tristan and his great-grandchildren Stella, Hattie, and Olive. He was also dubbed Canton Swimming's biggest fan because he attended every meet and provided coaching advice to his daughter, Meg. Summer or winter found John working on the family camp at Lake Titus. John was a passionate supporter of the Malone community. He served both as President of the Malone Board of Education as well as a member of the Board of Directors of Citizens National Bank. He also volunteered regularly at St. Joseph’s Church. John’s love for his family was rivaled only by his passion for sports. He and members of the 1947-1948 varsity basketball team were inducted into the Franklin Academy/St Joseph’s Academy Hall of Fame in 2007. While Wednesday afternoons found him at the Malone Golf Club, weekends were spent at Lake Titus or sailing on Lake Champlain. An avid sailor, John enjoyed racing sailboats, especially his J37. His love of boating took the family on an excursion from Lake Champlain up the St. Lawrence to the ocean on the family trawler. He then took a month to boat down the Intracoastal Waterway to Florida where he and Beverly lived on the boat for a year. When the family was young, he even built a home gymnasium and hosted handball, racquetball, and volleyball nights. John was predeceased by his parents, three of his children, Michael, Anne, and Jennifer, and his brother Parker. He is survived by his wife Beverly, his daughters Elizabeth and Meg, his sister Catherine, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews. The family has canceled the services scheduled on Monday, July 18 due to unforeseen circumstances. Services will now be private and at the convenience of the family. Burial will take place at St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Lake Titus Road. In lieu of flowers, John’s family asks that donations be made to the Malone Recreation Foundation, 81 Constable Street, Malone, NY 12953.

Mr. John B. Connors

April 19, 1932 - July 7, 2022