1961

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James Patrick Connolly ’61, M.S. ’72 was born in Oakland in 1938 to James P. and Mamie W. Connolly. He attended Napa Union High School and graduated in 1956 and married Sharon in 1997. James passed away in San Jose on February 2, 2015. He was a retired engineer and manager whose career spanned 49 years at NASA, managing the design and development of Space Shuttle, International Space Station, and small spacecraft payloads. He joined the Peace Corps in 1964, and spent 2 years working on road and building projects in Tanzania. He graduated from Santa Clara University with an MS in Electrical Engineering in 1972. James is preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife Sharon and his children Tim Connolly of Campbell, Thad Connolly of Oakland, and Michael Sommese of San Jose. 

08 Nov 2018