Dolores Connolly

Dolores Connolly (nee Annesi) of Hopkinton died peacefully on March 19, 2025. She was 89 years old. She leaves behind her daughters, Cheryl and Susan; her sons-in-law, Steven and Paul; and her five grandchildren, Max, Jenny, Connor, Rachel (with husband David) and Felicity. She also will be deeply missed by her sisters, Joan and Rosemarie, her brother Rocco and her many nieces and nephews. Dolores was predeceased by her brother Gus.

Dolores, known to family and friends as (Auntie) Dee, was born on June 8, 1935, in Framingham to Jennie and Fred Annesi of 40 Bridges Street. After graduation from Framingham High School, Dee worked as a switchboard operator for the telephone company, and a secretary for a local building company before moving to Hopkinton with her husband, Bruce Garvin, and her two daughters.

While raising her daughters and living on Chamberlain Street, Dee enjoyed working behind the counter downtown at Brown and Smith’s, serving up coffee and sandwiches to the locals. She was known for her warm smile and friendly laugh. At home, Dee was quick to break into a dance step or two while listening to Motown tunes or Tom Jones on the radio when in the kitchen cooking dinner or washing dishes. She took advantage of the horse farm across the street to take horseback riding lessons, and enjoyed playing tennis with friends.

After her marriage to Jack Connolly in 1983, Dee moved with him to Holliston, where they lived in a house that Jack built for them until 2017. While living in the Holliston house, Dee enjoyed working in the yard, tending to flower beds and raking leaves, and hosting family backyard barbecues. She was a consistently high scorer in her bowling league and a mean competitor in family games of bocce.

Dee made her travel adventures count. Along with Cheryl and Susan, she traveled to New York City with her mother, Jennie. They visited Central Park and walked through Times Square together. The highlight of the trip was a visit to Ellis Island, which Jennie had passed through at the age of 7 when she came to America from Italy.

Later, in the fall of 2007, Dee and her daughters drove from Naples, Italy, to the tiny village of Lacedonia, high in the hills of Campania, where Jennie was born. Dee shared old family photos with a local family that owned the village trattoria while enjoying their homemade pasta, broccolini and wine.

After moving to Fairview Estates in 2017, Dee made many new friends as she participated in the community chorus, bingo nights and a variety of craft activities. She loved reading mystery stories on her Kindle and enjoyed British comedies on TV.

A celebration of life will be held Sunday, April 13, from 3-6 p.m. at La Cantina Restaurant, 911 Waverley Street, Framingham.

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