John “Tinker” Connelly, 85, Former Northeastern, Newton High Great

Needham’s John J. “Tinker” Connelly, a Newton High graduate, died on Aug. 17 at the age of 85.

Connelly graduated from Newton High in 1946, and was later inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame. He was a three-sport athlete at Northeastern University – football, hockey and baseball – and was an all-New England Defenseman. Later he served as head coach of the Northeastern baseball team and as an assistant coach for hockey and football, according to an obituary on George F. Doherty & Sons Funeral Home website.

He was husband of Mary Lou (McManus) Connelly for 55 years; father of Timothy J. Connelly and wife Amie of Wellesley Hills, Anne E. Connelly of Atlanta, Clare L. McDonagh and husband Peter of Latrobe, Pa., and Matthew J. Connelly and wife Catherine of Suwanee, Ga.; grandfather of Kimberly, Peter and John McDonagh, Ryan, Nicholas and Matthew Connelly and Joseph and Jack Connelly. He was preceded in death by brother Lawrence, and sisters Elizabeth Knapp and Kathleen King.

Funeral will be at the George F. Doherty & Sons Funeral Home, 1305 Highland Ave. in Needham, on Wednesday, Aug. 21 at 9 a.m. Funeral Mass at St. Josephs Church in Needham at 10 a.m. Visiting hours will be Tuesday, Aug. 20 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Interment at St. Mary Cemetery in Needham.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the John Tinker Connelly Athletic Scholarship Fund, NU Athletic Dept., Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115.