Eugene Connolly grew up in Lawrence, Massachusetts during the Depression, the middle child of a devout Catholic family. He became a teaching Marist Brother, director of management training for a large corporation, and, ultimately, a beloved professor. His deep spirituality and gifted storytelling enriched the lives of thousands of students as well as family, friends, and colleagues. Professor Connolly was named the first recipient of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Citation for Outstanding Performance at Northern Essex Community College.
Sally Connolly, Professor Connolly's wife and the book's editor, is a retired school counselor and former high school and community college teacher. For the past ten years she has edited and published the Counselor’s Notebook for the Massachusetts School Counselors Association. A former Miss Massachusetts Universe, she was a professional model and vocalist in the Boston and Washington, D.C. areas before entering the field of education. She and Gene settled on the North Shore of Boston. Their family of one son and three daughters has grown to include four granddaughters and two grandsons, all under the age of seven.