This story originally appeared on bwhbulletin.org.

A legendary leader, philanthropist, advisor, mentor, role model and friend, Jack Connors Jr. was an inspiring champion of the Brigham for more than 30 years. He died July 23, 2024, at the age of 82.

Mr. Connors’ relationship and contributions to the Brigham community ran wide and deep. He served as chair of the Brigham Board of Trustees from 1992 to 1996, when he was invited to serve as the chair of the Mass General Brigham board—a role he held for 16 years before becoming chair emeritus in 2012. Widely known for his generosity and bold vision, Mr. Connors served as co-chair of the Brigham’s Life.Giving.Breakthroughs. campaign, which raised more than $1.7 billion and was the largest hospital-fundraising campaign in Boston when it concluded in 2020. Most recently, Mr. Connors served as an honorary trustee and member of the Brigham Resources Committee.

“Jack’s level of commitment, care and influence was simply unmatched,” said David F. M. Brown, MD, president of Academic Medical Centers at Mass General Brigham. “He had that indefatigable spirit that left a positive and lasting impression on everything he touched and everyone he met. I was fortunate to have him as my trusted confidante, mentor and friend.”

“It would be impossible to measure Jack’s impact on the Brigham,” added John Fish, chair of the Brigham Board of Trustees and a close friend of Mr. Connors. “He was an astute business leader but also a man of deep integrity and principles who always guided us to find our ‘true north.’ He knew instinctively how to connect with people, how to problem-solve and how to lead effectively. And he was generous and good to his core.”

Indeed, Mr. Connors was generous and thoughtful with his time, talents and resources. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, he and his wife, Eileen, made significant gifts to the Brigham to establish the Mary Horrigan Connors Center for Women’s Health and Gender Biology and the Mary Horrigan Connors Center for Women and Newborns. They made these gifts in honor of Mr. Connors’ late mother, Mary Horrigan Connors—who grew up in tenement housing near the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital—as a way to honor her life with a simple but profound mission: to improve the health of women and transform their care. In gratitude for the Connors’ generosity, the Brigham named the building at 45 Francis Street the Mary Horrigan Connors Center for Women’s Health. Today, the name of Mr. Connors’ mother still adorns the building and can be seen by all who walk down Francis Street.

“Jack was all about honoring the people he loved and being a force for good in this world,” said Hadine Joffe, MD, MSc, executive director of the Mary Horrigan Connors Center for Women’s Health and Gender Biology and interim chair of the Department of Psychiatry. “As smart and savvy as he was as a business leader, his greatest gift was his ability to raise people’s sights in imagining a healthier, better future.”

In addition to women’s health, the Connors family supported a number of Brigham programs, including medical education, cardiovascular care, neurosciences and global health. Mr. Connors was one of the lead donors for the Caregivers Fund, which was founded in 2020 to provide support and resources to Brigham staff during the COVID-19 crisis. He was also an active supporter of the chaplaincy, generously supporting this vital care area and participating as a volunteer. Known for his trademark wit, charm and charisma, Mr. Connors was frequently invited to speak at signature Brigham events, including multiple launch celebrations and the Women’s Health Luncheon, an annual event benefiting the Mary Horrigan Connors Center for Women’s Health and Gender Biology.

“Jack had a huge heart and capacity to inspire others because you could see how deeply he cared,” said Sue Rapple, senior vice president and chief development officer of the Brigham. “He was enormously generous to the Brigham, and words could never adequately convey our gratitude to him or how much we will miss him. He was one in a million and represented the best of everything we do at the Brigham.”

Mr. Connors was born in Roslindale, grew up in Dedham and often shared the story of how he drove a taxi to pay his way through Boston College, his cherished alma mater. In 1968, he founded Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos, Inc., which became one of the top 20 advertising firms in the U.S. and propelled him to become one of the most trusted advisors and a voices in Boston. Always a civic-minded and altruistic leader, Mr. Connors served on the boards of several organizations and initiatives, including the Campaign for Catholic Schools, Boston College, The Edward M. Kennedy Institute and Harvard Medical School. Notably, and at the request of the late Mayor Thomas Menino, Mr. Connors also founded Camp Harbor View, a summer camp for underprivileged youth in Boston Harbor.

In addition to his wife, Eileen, Mr. Connors is survived by his four children, John Connors, Timothy Connors, Susanne Joyce and Kevin Connors, 13 grandchildren, all of whom were born at the Brigham, and countless friends and colleagues.

His legacy and example of generosity, kindness, and community will be carried on by all who knew and admired him.

Gifts in Mr. Connors’ memory can be made to The Brigham Fund, which supports areas of greatest need throughout the Brigham.