I am deeply saddened to share the news that Jack Connors Jr., visionary leader, Mass General Brigham founding Board Chair and consummate Bostonian, died today following a brief illness.
Jack had an incredible impact on all people and all things he touched, whether Mass General Brigham, the city of Boston or the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He led others with enormous conviction and a relentless drive to help and inspire everyone he encountered, tempered by humility. In the days to come, much will be said of Jack’s acumen and his many accomplishments. The Jack Connors we knew and will remember is a man who saw the best in people and pushed everyone to bring out the best in others. A quick and self-deprecating wit was his trademark. Like so many, I am grateful to have called him my friend and mentor.
In 1994, Jack, who was then Chairman of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and a group of visionary leaders had an idea for healthcare starting in Massachusetts. That vision was to harness the power, knowledge and expertise of our world-renowned academic hospitals—Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital—to escalate and define the impact and future of healthcare here in our city, across the country, and around the world. This concept led to the creation of our Mass General Brigham healthcare system—a system that Jack, who became Board Chair in 1996, would lead for 16 years.
His dream for what we can achieve by working together in service of our mission, patients, and people has always been bold and inspiring. It was with this drive and generosity that he and his wife, Eileen, made significant gifts to the Brigham in the late 1990s and early 2000s to establish the Mary Horrigan Connors Center for Women’s Health and Gender Biology and the Mary Horrigan Connors Center for Women and Newborns. Named after Jack’s mother, the centers continue to transform women’s healthcare nationally. Jack also helped establish the Mass General Cancer Center and was then a committed fundraiser for its research program. He sat on the advisory board of the Home Base Program for veterans at Mass General. With his tireless spirit, he served as one of the staunchest advocates for our hospitals, our people, and the communities we serve.
Mass General Brigham’s current Board Chair Scott Sperling said today, “Jack’s influence extends beyond boardrooms and meeting halls. He was the heart and soul of every gathering, the person whose stories and laughter lights up the room. His genuine care for others, his ability to listen and his readiness to lend a helping hand have endeared him to countless friends and colleagues. He had the unique ability to make everyone feel valued and heard, creating a ripple effect of positivity wherever he went.”
Jack’s vision for our system, and for healthcare as we know it in Massachusetts, was historic. We see it every day as we work to build the most impactful, patient-focused, and equitable academic healthcare system in the world.
Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with his family, especially Eileen, his children, and grandchildren. Jack meant so much to so many, and our patients are the greatest beneficiaries of Jack’s work.
Together, as a community, we mourn his loss and remember Jack for his wisdom, leadership, mentorship, compassion, and unwavering focus on people.
Anne Klibanski, MD
President and CEO
