About us
Jonathan Connelly Foundation
Family is the first thing that comes to mind when talking about Jonathan. Everyone knew about his athletic ability, craftsmanship and his love of tattoos. We’ll get to those things, but first and foremost Jonathan loved his family. He was the youngest and only male sibling. The large age gap between him and his sisters sometimes made it seem like he really had three moms. His sisters were always keeping track of where he was and what he was doing, calling him out when they thought he had done something wrong and giving him unsolicited life advice. This could be hard on anyone, but Jon seemed to embrace it. How much he cared about his sisters was clear. He never ended a phone call without an I love you and he always reached out when he needed advice or wanted to brag about how much he deadlifted or how many miles he had ran that day. At the same time Jennifer and Jill were there to encourage him and push him to be better. Jonathan’s love of physical fitness was obvious and something he always shared with his Mom, Tammy. They were constantly on walks, bike rides, hanging out at the Y or training for the next iron man. They pushed each other to be stronger. They loved that time together and it showed. The last couple of years Jon had decided he wanted to run marathons and iron mans and when Jon decided he wanted to do something he dove in headfirst. Immediately researching and purchasing the best bike and running shoes, but also putting in the work. It never took long for Jon to be good at something though. To nobody’s surprise he won the first race he entered. Jonathan was an athletic freak of nature. There was nothing he couldn’t do athletically and that started at a very young age. Both of his sisters played basketball at a high level and Jon became a gym rat early in life. If you know the Connelly family, you know that they bleed basketballs. Jon was a standout AAU and high school basketball player. It didn’t end with basketball though. Jon also exceled at soccer. He helped lead his high school team to a state championship. In recent years Jon had begun power lifting and studying to become a personal trainer. His dream was to open a gym for those struggling with substance abuse. He wanted to provide a safe place where people could come without the fear of judgment or temptation. Jon was a fighter. He was tough as nails and the strongest person you would ever come across. But as strong and determined as Jon was none of it would have been possible without a devoted Mother and Father. There are not many people in this world more devoted than Dennis and Tammy Connelly. From the two-a-day Friday night practices to the constant traveling for tournaments Tammy and Dennis were always there to support their son. You can’t go to a gym in south city without hearing stories about Jonathan Connelly It’s easy when talking about Jonathan to focus on sports, but there was so much more to him. He was also an amazing carpenter and extremely hard worker. Jonathan loved music, movies, tattoos, and Imo’s pizza. He loved spending time playing with his nephews and they loved it just as much. In 2020 Jon found a best friend in, Luna, a golden doodle his mom affectionately calls baby girl. Baby girl was such an important part of Jon’s life. He devoted so much time to her and she was grateful for it. Baby girl now lives with Tammy and Dennis and is a constant reminder of Jon’s devotion and love. In recent years Jon had also found God and along with that found himself. This was one of the best gifts he could give to his family and those closest to him. Especially his Mom and Dad. They began going to church together and ended up finding one they loved. Rooftop Church was Jon’s favorite place because of the all the music they played. He said he could sit there forever and just listen. Jon had a real connection to music. Artists like Mac Miller or Caamp spoke to him because they often touched on the topic of addiction and struggles that Jon could relate to. Like all of us Jonathan had his struggles, but he never let that define him. Whenever he got knocked down, he got right back up and kept fighting. There was zero quit in Jonathan. He was always trying to improve his life and to find something better. Most recently Jon had started power lifting and had plans to become a personal trainer. He wanted to open a gym and train people with the disease of addiction like himself. He would say that it’s not worth being clean if he can’t pay it forward and help others. There was nothing judgmental about Jonathan. He was a strong believer in never judging someone for their faults until you have walked in their shoes. In honor of Jonathan, we all need to pay it forward and we must keep fighting. That’s what Jon would want us to do. Jon’s fight is finished, and he can now be at peace, but our fight is far from over. We formed the Jonathan Connelly Foundation to help Jonathan reach his goal of providing services to others struggling with this disease. In the early stages of our foundation, we plan to provide financial assistances to those seeking treatment as well participating in community outreach programs. We will continue to explore other ways to expand our services with the end goal being Jonathan's dream of opening a gym.