W. Patrick Connelly

Patrick Connelly

W. Patrick Connelly

Companies F-4 and D-1

September 20, 1975 – February 24, 2025

William Patrick Connelly was an exceptional person. Although he was born in Greenville, South Carolina on September 20, 1975, he came to Texas when he was 8 months old and considered Texas his home until his death on February 24, 2025.

Patrick was a gifted athlete, student and leader as he grew up in The Woodlands, Texas. While he hated hearing any list of his own accomplishments, his achievements tell the story of a lifelong learner who worked tirelessly to serve his family, community, and country.

Patrick was the salutatorian of the first graduating class of the John Cooper School in 1994. He was the state champion in wrestling two years in a row, won the T.A.P.P.S. Scholar/Athlete Award, was the captain of his high school soccer team and a member of the Texas State Champion team in both track and cross country.

After high school, Patrick attended The United States Military Academy at West Point where he graduated first in his class in 1998, while simultaneously serving as the First Captain of the Corps of Cadets – an achievement matched by just four other people in the history of West Point, the last being General Douglas MacArthur. He may have been the only First Captain who was also a Century Man, an honor reserved for those who walk over 100 hours in the area for breaking the rules at West Point. While at West Point, Patrick was a member of the Army Judo Team and was awarded a third-degree black belt on the same day he graduated.

Patrick was selected as the honor graduate from the Infantry Officer Basic Course before attending both Airborne and Ranger Schools at Ft. Benning, Georgia. He was honored with the Order of St. Maurice Medallion for his contributions to the Infantry, his integrity, moral character and dedication to his profession. On June 12, 1999, he married the love of his life, Kathleen Patricia Tinning, and they traveled together to his first assignment in Vicenza, Italy with the 173rd Airborne Brigade. His service as a paratrooper in the Army took him all over the world, and his devotion to the people around him continued to earn him accolades.

He next served at Fort Hood with the 4th Infantry Division before deploying to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. During his 7 years of military service, Patrick earned the Combat Infantry Badge, Expert Infantry Badge, Senior Parachutist Badge, Ranger Tab, Bronze Star, Army Commendation Medal, and multiple other military honors. Service to others was at the core of Patrick’s character.

After a tour in Iraq, he transitioned to civilian life through Harvard’s Business School and the Kennedy School of Government. His career in private equity met his goal of providing for the family he was devoted to beyond measure, and mentoring hundreds of veterans through life and business.

Patrick experienced significant business success working his way up through the private equity ranks to eventually come to be the co-founder of a successful private equity fund based in Houston, TX called Amberjack Capital. Since Patrick co-founded and co- managed the firm with his long-time partner, Jason Turowsky, they raised over $800 million of committed capital from many large financial institutions. Patrick was especially instrumental in the formation and success of a publicly traded company, Innovex International (NYSE: INVX) for which he had a seat on the board of directors. He was universally respected and admired by his colleagues and portfolio company management teams for his intelligence, integrity and calm and confident leadership.

While Patrick’s life is decorated with adventure and achievement, his number one accomplishment was his commitment to his family as a husband and father. Patrick and Kathleen were blessed with three amazing children. His daughters Claire, Vivian and Marion filled his life with laughter and also gave him a lot of gray hair. Being their dad was his greatest source of pride.

Although his life was very busy, he always found time for his parents, Andrew and Edie Connelly, siblings Sharon and her husband Lyle Larkworthy, Christina and her husband Trevor Tutt, many beloved nieces, nephews, and those he mentored through life.

Patrick lived a life of service and continues to do so. He cared deeply for the friends who touched his life. If you would like to share your favorite memory or story about Patrick, we encourage you to do so in the comment section below. His daughters will treasure any notes and stories that tell the story of their father.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you consider making a charitable donation in Patrick’s honor at The ’98 Fund HERE

Family and friends will be invited to attend a celebration of Patrick’s life at a later date.

Be Thou At Peace