Remembering Peg Connolly

The Hopkins community is mourning the loss of Peg Connolly, a beloved member of the Hopkins faculty for more than 37 years, who passed away on March 31, 2025, after a two-year battle with pancreatic cancer.

As a health teacher, certified athletic trainer, and coach, Peg supported generations of Hopkins students with expertise, empathy, and steady guidance. Even while raising two children and pursuing her master’s degree, she remained fully immersed in the life of the School, which she considered part of her extended family.

Peg joined Hopkins in 1987, fresh from Bridgewater State College, where she majored in athletic training. What began as a first job quickly became her life’s calling—one she carried with quiet strength, deep care, and unwavering dedication for nearly four decades.

In reflecting on her work at Hopkins, Peg once said, “The kids should know you before they need you.” Originally hired to treat injuries and support student-athletes on the field, she longed to do more—helping students understand their own well-being before they found themselves in crisis. That vision led her to pursue a master’s degree in health education at Southern Connecticut State University, all while continuing her roles as trainer, coach, teacher, and parent. It was, she later said, “hard—but worth it.”

Peg’s compassion and wisdom were most fully realized in the classroom, where she spent the latter part of her career guiding students through questions of health, balance, and self-understanding. Alongside her colleague Ian Guthrie, she designed a curriculum grounded in listening, empathy, and the evolving needs of students. “It’s so crucial to put students first,” she said. “We’re constantly figuring out what we should spend more time on. That takes an understanding of what's going on in their lives.”

Peg fought her illness with the same courage, determination, and grace that defined her time at Hopkins. She was a steady presence in a fast-moving world—a mentor, listener, advocate, and friend to so many.

Learn more about Peg’s remarkable life and career in her obituary.