Thomas P. McConnell, World War II Veteran and long time resident of Pleasantville, NY, Tom was born May, 9, 1922, and died May 8, 2015, just an hour and a quarter before his 93rd birthday. He was the son of Thomas H. McConnell and Frances Imo Peter McConnell. He was raised on the family farm near Kokomo, Indiana. He went to Indiana University where he met Grace Richardson, whom he married in February 1943. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps Aviation Cadet Program, going on active military duty in June after his junior year of college. In September 1944, as a Second Lieutenant he shipped out to the European Theatre, based in Italy, where he flew in a B-24, as the bombardier/navigator on bombing missions over Nazi occupied Europe. He flew 236 combat hours on 32 sorties, and was bombing right up to the end of the war in Europe. While flying on a mission, his first child, Frances, was born on May 1st, and he was afraid he would never return to see her or Grace. He was sent home to retrain for duty in the Pacific Theatre, but at the end of the war in the Pacific, he and Grace, along with baby Frances, went back to Indiana University to finish his degree, graduating in February 1946. (Since Grace had not earned college credits while following him around when he was in training before shipping out, she didn't graduate with him, but continued her studies, graduating in 1954.)
His career took him through various financial positions in several manufacturing companies moving from Indiana to Ohio and on to New York. He worked for two years in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, before returning to New York, and living in Chappaqua, Geneseo, and Pleasantville. He worked for several companies in Manhattan; he also worked briefly in financial management in the non-profit world. He retired from Antaeus Enterprises, Inc., as a Vice President, in 1990. He was very active in Pleasantville and became a Village Trustee. He also worked to bring the Cable TV studio to the village. He was very proud of his work helping to bring about the Westchester Library System, a collaboration combining the resources of the smaller village libraries in Westchester County for use by the citizens in the county.
Tom was predeceased by his wife Grace in 2012, and his son Thomas R McConnell in 1960. He leaves his daughters Frances Mower (Mrs. Herbert) of Charlton, Massachusetts, and Margo McConnell of Westfield, Massachusetts; four grandchildren: Elizabeth Dodge, Cynthia Eskelinen, Thomas Dadmun and Jenna Dadmun; and four great grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held, Sunday, May 31 at 2 PM at The Pleasantville Presbyterian Church, 400 Bedford Rd, Pleasantville, NY
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the Pleasantville Presbyterian Church, Heifer Project (www.HeiferInternational.org), or The Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, or The Mt. Pleasant Library.