23/07/2024
Dear Friends,
Today, the Rafanelli family mourns the passing of our beloved friend and mentor, Jack Connors. Jack was a visionary leader who dedicated his life to giving back to the city he loved. His impact in Boston, and beyond, cannot be measured.
Service was at the core of who Jack was and one of his most enduring legacies is Camp Harbor View. Since its inception, we at Rafanelli Events have had the privilege to collaborate with Jack in his efforts to support Boston’s most underserved community members through Camp Harbor View and the annual Beach Ball, raising tens of millions of dollars for this cause.
Jack was a tireless advocate for democracy and counted many elected officials among his friends—from mayors to presidents. He worked to support candidates in their efforts at all levels of government to better their community, city, state, and country with a deep conviction that good people serve in these roles. These convictions fueled his work and support for President Biden and even in the weeks leading up to his passing, he continued the work to support his re-election.
We will all remember Jack as the ultimate connector and collaborator. He was unmatched in his ability to bring people and organizations together in service of his community, and we have learned so much from him.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to Jack’s wife, Eileen, his family, our Camp Harbor View family and all those touched by its work, and Jack’s many friends. As we honor him together, we encourage everyone, whether you knew Jack or not, to extend a small act of kindness or service in his memory, just as he did countless times throughout his extraordinary life.
I consider his friendship to be one of the great gifts of my life.
-Bryan