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Old 06-15-2011, 01:15 PM   #1
Just Sold
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Unhappy Jodi Connor Lived for Lakes


Most of the article on Jodi Connor from the Concord Monitor
http://www.concordmonitor.com/articl...94&CSGroupId=1




Connor fought for water quality>>

By Ray Duckler / Monitor columnist>>
>>



Concord's Aquaman died last Thursday. Mention Jody Connor of the state Department of Environmental Services and those who knew him instantly think water. Clean water. Clear water. Water to drink, to swim in, to love as part of the state's personality.>>
Connor, director of the department's Limnology Center, fought for clean water like he fought lung cancer the past 2½ years, before an embolism in his lung took his life. He had responded to treatment well, his wife, Patricia Connor, said yesterday. His death, at age 58, was unexpected, despite his long illness.>>
In life, Connor submerged himself in his work, and bodies of water everywhere>>
should weep. His contributions to the state's lakes and streams and shoreline stretch like the horizon, showing a person who worked 32 years for a cause many take for granted.>>
"He was an educator, he was a biologist, he was an overall friend of lakes," said Amy Smagula, who works for the DES Biology Section. "He was one of those people that encouraged you to be the best you could be and to do the most good that you could do.">>
Somehow, Connor simplified the science he knew so well, making you understand water and inspiring you to care about it.>>




Whether it concerned milfoil, or bacteria, or exotic life, or freshwater, or saltwater, or simply water in a local hotel pool, Connor acted as an insurance policy, policing, researching, testing.>>

Soft-spoken, he had a commanding, no-nonsense presence when pushing for legislation. He simply put on a tie and stated his case.>>
Gerry Shelby, a longtime volunteer and president of the Otter Pond Protective Association the past 15 years, lives near Otter Pond in Sunapee. Shelby says when Connor entered the picture, it was time to swim for shore.>>
"There was something with Jody, after a number of years, where if you weren't doing it right on your lakes, rivers or streams, it put a little scare into you when you heard Jody Connor's name," Shelby said. "He had quite a bit of influence.">>
Connor was best known for rallying people to join the Volunteer Lake Assessment Program, prompting them to take water samples so we knew which water was clean and which needed cleaning.>>
Harry Stewart, the director of the water division, knew Connor from the start, back when both men worked for the Water Supply and Pollution Control Commission in 1980.>>
Stewart says his friend charged people up like a wire in water.>>
"Talk to people who were in those programs, they all know him," Stewart said. "He was so dedicated to keeping those programs operating and making sure the quality control was there. He really injected enthusiasm into those volunteers over the years. Anyone would tell you that.">>
Including Shelby.>>
"When the invasive weeds came in, we were very interested and we depended upon Jody for everything," Shelby said. "Weeds, milfoil, nobody knew anything about it, and if you don't know anything about it you really don't care. You don't even think about it. But the invasive weed didn't come in our lake, and he's been the primary reason.">>
Right from the start, after receiving his master's degree from the Florida Institute of Technology, Connor showed tunnel vision for his work.>>
As Shelby said, "I thought he had a bed in his office, but his office at the beginning wasn't big enough to put a cot in.">>
Nothing could stop Connor in his defense of water. Not even cancer. He just kept working.>>
"He went to work every day, worked out at the gym every night," said Patricia, Connor's wife of 36 years.
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Old 06-15-2011, 07:38 PM   #2
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Default Fellow Biologist...

Every season, I made it a point to call Jody Connor about the lake's water. He answered every question, and I was glad to have that respected resource as close as my telephone. RIP.
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Old 06-16-2011, 08:15 PM   #3
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Thank You 'Just Sold' for posting this article... A lot of people on this forum didn't know Jody personally but have certainly reaped the rewards and benefits due to his hard and tireless work... I have had the honor and privilege of knowing Jody personally for a long time and having his son work with me at a local marina... He was always approachable and easy to talk to... He also knew everything there was to know about Limnology... I learned much from him and just wanted to take a moment to say he will surely be missed but not forgotten... Thanks again for honoring him on the forum!!!
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Old 07-03-2011, 08:54 AM   #4
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Default Jody

He was a great skier as well as driver during the water ski racing days. Even though he lived in Concord, his heart lives on the lake.

I had many fond memories of him. He was a great man. RIP
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