Jack Connors never held public office. His advertising agency wasn’t a big employer; in its heyday, it wasn’t even the biggest ad shop in town. Plenty of people are here have built fortunes far larger than his.
But Connors wielded more power than any local business leader, and his influence with Boston’s political, civic, and religious elite was unrivaled. He exploited that clout profitably in business, to be sure. But he put it to truly masterful use in philanthropy.
“I’m not selfless,” he told the Globe Magazine in 2007 . But “shrouds don’t have pockets, though some guys think they do.” Connors, who donated more than a $100 million to local causes, and raised hundreds of millions of dollars more, died early Monday at 82 , less than a month after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Advertisement Ask anyone who knew him, and they’ll tell you he was unlike anyone they’d ever encountered. What was his secret to success? “He had the ability to have every single person believe they were the most important person to him. His empathy, understanding, and ultimately his willingness to help you with whatever the issue was boundless,” said David D’Alessandro, the former chief executive of John Hancock Financial Services and a longtime friend.
“He collected the greatest contact list and favor bank in the history of Boston.” (Disclosure: I worked for D’Alessandro when he was Hancock’s CEO and Connors occupied an office in the Hancock Tower.) Connor.