About Sean Patrick Connelly

Sean was born on August 8th, 1982 in Tampa, Florida. He attended St.Patrick’s Catholic School for his first eight years. He played soccer, basketball and hockey. He was in many plays, once playing Forest Gump and also Jesus Christ. He was also great on the computer, so good that they would take him out of class to help assemble new computers and help teachers when they would run into problems.

In his teen years he was also a big part of the LifeTeen program at St. Patrick’s.

Sean decided he wanted to be a Boyscout. He loved the remote camping trips the troop used to take. He took it as far as you can go. He became an Eagle Scout, a great achievement for any young man.

He played five years of baseball for Palma Ceia Little League, and he then went on to play four years of football for Plant High School. The last season he played, they won the division, which hadn’t been won in fifteen years.

He went to the University of South Florida for almost 2 years. He then got a job at USAA insurance. When we met some of his fellow employees, they said that Sean loved his job and he was a natural at it.

On June 4th, 2005 – Sean was driven off the road by a road rage driver and was killed. His funeral was so huge for the diocese that the Bishop celebrated the mass.
He was a kind, intelligent, friendly and warm hearted young man. He reached out to all ages. he always had a great way of communicating with people at their own level, be it children friends, adults and grandparents.

Sean’s friends showed up at our home every Thursday night for two years after his passing. They were not only showing up for our loss, but also for theirs. We then moved to try to get on with our lives, but also hoping for them to get on with their own. Two of his friends named their children after Sean. Every year on the anniversary of his death, a bunch of his friends get together to remember him.

Sean was 6’3 and 240 pounds. One thing we all miss terribly are his “bear hugs”.

Written by Maureen & Bob Connelly