John Kevin Connelly

John Kevin Connelly

May 3, 1952 - Sept. 10, 2022

John Connelly’s life was much like the ocean he held so dear to his heart: At times, it was calm and steady; rhythmic like the waves of the sea. Other times, it was wild and unpredictable—but even through those times, he navigated through rough waters as the captain of his own ship.

John was a beloved father of three children, a grandfather, and the youngest of five siblings. He was a fisherman at his core who passed away at age 70 on Sept. 10, 2022.

He was raised in Baldwin Hills, Los Angeles by mother and father Robert and Eva Connelly, a shy youngster who was a strong competitive swimmer. His dear friend, Glenn Toyama remembers meeting John as a young teen with big ears that stuck out from his buzz-cut hair. Glenn and friends had a band and John always showed up to support, helping set up for gigs.

Even at a young age, Glenn recalled, John had the personality of a salesman—a career he would carry his entire life in the sign supply industry.

“He was such a great conversationalist,” Glenn recalls. “He always said the right thing. Everybody loved him… He had a lot of girlfriends, too.”

It was at a young age that John developed a love for fishing. The family frequented summer trips to San Diego and John could always be found in the same spot after nightfall.

“There was a little glow of light at the end of the pier,” says his sister Pat, recalling her younger brother sneaking away to smoke at the end of the pier while trying to catch fish.

Following high school, John lived with his brother Bob in Redondo Beach. “There was something about him and saltwater,” Bob says.

But John and the sea didn’t always mix. Bob remembers a time they went for a midnight dip in the glowing bioluminescent waters with a couple of girls. John jumped in – kind of.

“Where he chose to dive, there was no water,” Bob recalls with a chuckle. “He dove into an inch of water. Oh god he was upset. It was funny.”

“We had good times,” Bob adds.

Even after moving to Los Angeles to be closer to work, the Redondo Beach Pier was a place John would frequently visit. He’d often take along his young son, Khoa, to teach him how to fish

Soon after, his daughter Laylan arrived, and he’d bundle her up for night fishing on the pier. His love for fishing would carry through his bloodstream to his third child, Jaered—who also shared his father’s big ears and lighthearted, yet slightly twisted, sense of humor.

They'd spend countless nights at the arcade on the pier and eating at nearby Captain Kidd’s.

Glenn recalls the countless Sunday afternoons on John’s beloved boat, Grampa’s Girl, with John’s parents and children in tow.

On one of the ocean outings, John's boat started taking on water. Glenn frantically bailed out sea water while John put lifejackets on the kids and navigated the broken vessel back to dock, barely making it to safety.

“Countless times, we got stuck,” Glenn says.

One time, John’s boat came unhinged on dry land—right in the middle of an intersection at Pacific Coast Highway in Long Beach—a moment he would always chuckle about while reminiscing through the years.

Through the ‘80s and much of the ‘90s, John would take on the role of a single father—a rarity for the time (and still now). He took on the role without a complaint.

His daughter Laylan fondly remembers the Sunday grocery shopping, family dinner every night, weekly laundromat runs, and cheerful Christmas mornings.

He taught his children to be tough, yet kind, as well as silly and curious. He had a lighthearted side, well-known for starting dance parties in the living room, building go carts for the kids, and hosting countless Fourth of July pool parties for friends and family at his home in Lakewood, CA.

John also had a deep love for gardening—growing his own crops with pride and joy—which was a passion he enjoyed throughout his entire life.

Though he was a homebody at heart, he would often make time to take his kids on local adventures to the snow or to the sea.

Brother Bob moved close to Lakewood to be close to John. He remembers John taking on so much with three children in tow. “What a good heart he had,” Bob says.

Throughout his life, that was what John prided himself most in: Being a good person.

Glenn describes his lifelong buddy as “friendly and honest.” “He never did anything dishonest,” Glenn says.

“He never took advantage of anybody.”

One of the greatest thrills of his life came just days before his passing. Laylan took him parasailing 800-feet in the air behind a speed boat in Dana Point, a morning shared by family, including Kai and Lili.

John affectionately soaked in the sights, calm and contemplative, as he soared above the ocean that he loved so much, scanning the sea for fish to catch.

“What a gas!” John said – either of the day or of his life – smiling ear-to-ear behind his distinguished silver beard.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Fish For Life/Dana Wharf in his name.