RONALD C. CONNELLY

Ronald C. Connelly, 93, of Pittsburgh, formerly of Butler, PA, St. Petersburg, FL, and Northampton, PA, passed away Thursday, October 9, 2025, at Reformed Presbyterian Home in Pittsburgh.

Born December 14, 1931, in Pittsburgh, he was a son of the late Charles J. Connelly and Catherine Geyer Connelly.

Ron was well known in Butler as the former chief of the Butler City Police Department. He graduated from the Pennsylvania State Police Academy in 1959 and was hired by the city as a motorcycle patrolman. He rose through the ranks as sergeant, captain, and then chief. He retired in 1979 with 20 years of service. He was a member of good standing of the Fraternal Order of Police.

Never one to sit still, Ron could be seen flipping pizzas or delivering coffee around Butler following his retirement. He found employment in Florida as a blood lab courier and a bank security guard and, later in Northampton, PA, as a funeral home assistant.

He was an avid reader, completing two to three novels weekly, and a bird watcher. He was a fan of the Pittsburgh sports teams, Notre Dame football, and the Little League World Series. Ron also enjoyed completing the daily crossword puzzle and attending musical performances in Pittsburgh. He loved his sweet treats, especially pie and ice cream, he was a real jokester, and he was an excellent whistler.

Ron was a physical fitness enthusiast, which he continued to pursue in retirement. He attended water aerobics classes three times a week at High Point Fitness in Bethel Park, PA, until the day before his illness. Ron rode eight to ten miles on his exercise bike and lifted weights. He also taught water aerobics at the Jewish Community Center of the Lehigh Valley and Parkland High School, both in Allentown, PA, and at a community center while living in Florida.

He is survived by six children, Zane Brown and his wife, Donalee, of Lafayette, CO, Gregory Brown and his wife, Jennifer of Central Point, OR, Christopher Connelly and his wife, Lisa of Butler, Bruce Brown and his wife, Gretchen, of Pittsburgh, Timothy Brown and his wife, Dr. Carolyn Walsh, of Leesburg, VA, and Theresa Geisel and her husband, Jeffrey, of Pittsburgh; a son-in-law, Marty White of Erie, PA; 14 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, Ron was preceded in death by his loving wife, Eleanor Jean Good Brown Connelly, whom he married January 25, 1974, and who passed away August 31, 2018; one daughter, Ronna Jean White; one brother; and six sisters.

Friends will be received in the MARTIN FUNERAL HOME DOWNTOWN, 201 E. Cunningham St., Butler, PA, on Friday, October 17, 2025, from 5 p.m.-8 p.m.

Funeral Services will take place at the funeral home on Saturday, October 18, 2025, at 11 a.m., with Pastor Joel Benson, of Trinity Lutheran Church, officiating.

Burial will follow in Butler County Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations via personal check to High Point Fitness, 1000 Higbee Dr., Suite A100, Bethel Park, PA 15102, or South Park Library, 2575 Brownsville Rd., South Park, PA 15129. Please write "Ron Connelly Memorial" in the memo line of the check.