John Michael Conway

Mr. Conway or “Uncle John” as he was affectionately known to many in the class of ’84. This extraordinary man taught by example, cared deeply, was inspirational, and always – always wanted to take you on a journey to expand your mind. His heart and soul will live on in all who have known him. May God Bless Him.

Mr Conway will definitely be missed!!! He was one of the best teachers anyone could ask for. He was such a caring person and it always came across in his class. Our prayers go out to the family.

Mr. Conway was an ordinary man who lived an extraordinary life. Not only did he touch the lives of those around him, but he inspired them to open their minds to the world and to become, like him, extraordinary people in their daily lives. May God bless you for all the lives you touched and the legacy you left behind.

John was Kelly High School. His resource center was always the first to fill up (well, beside the cafeteria). He challenged, informed, and yes, even taught us. With Alistair Cooke's "America" as our textbook, we learned that what we studied in the classroom had very real connections to the world outside. John will always be remembered as a dear man, good friend, and the best of teachers.

John taught me history at Kelly in the late 70s. He was a dear man, a wonderful teacher and a committed counselor. He is greatly responsible for my awareness and interest in history, politics, philosophy and many other subjects. He will be sorely missed by all who he touched.

In John Conway's classes, we weren't just students; we were scholars. For example, I'll never forget the day he gave me a copy of an article he wrote, "Reflections of a Desultory Philippic" and wanted to know what I thought. Surely he must have known I had no idea what "desultory" and "Philippic" meant, just as surely as he must have known I would have gone straight to a dictionary and looked up their meanings and learned something that day. He is the teacher who presented the Holocaust not just as an academic topic but an emotional and human one too. He is also the teacher who he gave me my copy of War of Peace, which I read for the first time the summer after high school graduation. Mr. Conway is the reason I became a teacher. Every day that I stand before my students in the classroom, I try to live out what he taught me about being a good teacher: if you love your discipline and love your students, you can truly change lives.

Condolences to the family of a man who left many memories for all whose life he touched.. I remember one early morning as a small group was heading out by auto to a seminar, Mr. Conway was there to see them off. We held hands, formed a circle, and he prayed for their safety and successs . What dedication and inspiration he was to all. May he rest in peace.

John, You were one of those teachers who made a difference in my life. The world was blessed by your presence.

Goodbye, Mr. Conway. Thank you for being a huge part of my educational experience at KHS. My God bless you and your family.

My deepest condolances to Mr. Conway's family. I am one of the many students whose life was substantially shaped by his teachings, his compasion and his general outlook on life. I will never forget classes that began with yoga and meditation, included discussion of cinematography techniques, literary style and robust debate and ended with smiles and hugs. My path would not have been the same with out him.

To Mr. Conway- Thank you for teaching me a whole new way of thinking, a whole new way of looking at life. You made my Kelly High School experience so rich- Your life was a gift. Thank you. You will be missed, but not forgotten. Peace in Christ.

John, You will be missed. We love you. But you are in a different place now looking over all of us. God Bless, Anthony Sr., Aisling (Venza), and Anthony Jr. Malota

My brother John, You welcomed me into teaching, and thus into your life back in 1972. Your keen insight, clarity of vision and your mission in life is and remains a source of inspiration. You helped me stretch my intellect, and to learn to think. Perhaps more importantly, in a world where profiteering, media-driven pornography and violence depersonalize us, privatized morality threatens solidarity and the common good, and greed, power, and unjust war-making bring shadows of darkness, you embodied Beauty, Truth and Goodness. Your poetry and short stories, your rapport with students, and your love for Christ and community all leave a legacy our world so badly needs. Most of all, I am grateful for your heart – big enough to embrace everyone who crossed your path. You mirrored well the image of God alive in our midst. I imagine you are presiding over the Carrigacurra Canteen section in the Kingdom, sipping fine wine and visiting with O'Connor, Aquinas and Doestoyesky. Thanks for the 30 + year friendship. I will miss you.

Mr. Conway's class was the best part of my day. He was a special teacher and a special person.

HAIL AND FAREWELL, DEAREST FRIEND, MAY YOU SHINE AS BRIGHTLY THROUGH THE EONS AS YOU DID IN THIS LITTLE SAD WORLD. THE LIGHT OF THIS WORLD HAS DIMMED A GREAT DEAL IN THESE LAST FEW DAYS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LOVE,YOUR KINDNESS AND YOUR FRIENDSHIP, REST IN PEACE, JOHNNY.

Mr.Conway.....words can never describe the positive impact that his prescence had upon Kelly High School.We as students, the faculty, and the entire Kelly "family" were inspired by his sincerety, intelligence and unique style of educating our minds and nurturing our spirits and souls.His extraordinary ability to make all of his students have that "YOU CAN DO IT" philosiphy in life will never be forgotten by me and my class of 1973!!!!!! May the grace of God be with you.

My condolences and prayers for the family and friends of John Michael Conway. John made history and social studies come alive for me at Msgr. Kelly. And his "headquarters" - Room 9 - was THE place to be between classes. Remember always his passion for life, his yearning for knowledge, and his love for each of you - and for us all. David Harrington MKHS Class of 1977 -30-

A colleague. A friend. An ispiration. I will always love him. Thanks for all of it, John. myska

I'm very sorry to hear about John. He was certainly one of the best teachers, but moreso, a very caring person. While I haven't stayed in touch with the many great people I met while at Kelly, I do often think of them; and when I do, John's always at the forefront! He will be remembered in my prayers.

I will remember John in my prayers. Peace!

Mr. Conway was always very helpful and understanding during my two years at Kelly High School. I wish his family well.

John was a good man and a good friend. My life is better for knowing him. - class of -87

Tim, I am so very sorry for your loss. I had no idea John Conway was your father! What a wonderful spirit he gave to all who knew him at Monsignor Kelly High School! I remember that even though he was an administrator, he kept himself in the "trenches" - teaching classes, giving lectures, performing at pep rallies and the like. I always admired that about him. When my sister, Kacy, was a senior he called me and asked me to administer her class' final exam. He wanted me to teach them how to do the Harlem Shuffle in the gym. It was great to see him and the students interacting in such a way that I can only describe as pure joy. The experience made such an impression on me that when I started teaching at Odom Academy I tried to bring that same sense of excitement and fun into my own classes. He will be missed dearly. He made a lasting impression on many. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Mr. Conway was a wonderful teacher and inspiration to me as a student a Kelly. This was back in the 70s, he wise and generous.

John Conway took over our senior "English Z" class when our teacher, Lisa Andreason went on Maternity leave. He introduced us to Thomas Hardy, Henry Fielding and Henry James. He also began a rigorous crash course on how to write an essay which I use in my brain as a template to this day. He was kind, he was funny and he was brilliant. His love of learning was infectious and he knew how to make the dreary difficult years of adolescence less painful, by pointing out that they were only temporary. I'll miss him.

John was a wonderful man, the best teacher I ever had, my mentor, the closest thing to a father I ever had. I regret not having seen him for so many years but I will always love him and remember his beautiful spirit. May God bless him because Mr. Conway blessed the life of everyone that knew him.

John, you've been my friend since the seventh grade, when we attended Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic School there in Beaumont. The World will be a dumber palce without you. I miss you already.

I am an employee of Dr. Joseph Finley's. I am so glad I had the honor of knowing John, he was a very sweet, kind and considerate man. He sent flowers to our office quite often thanking us for our kindness and taking care of him. I will miss him a great deal. He was the kind of person that I doubt ever had an enemy or an unkind word about anyone. You will be greatly missed. Sincerely, Melissa Kay

Mr. Conway was my vice principal at Kelly High (1980-1984). He was an excellent teacher, leader and role model, and was instrumental in helping to open my mind and my heart to the world at large. He taught me about compassion, fairness, and gentleness. He showed us by his own example how to live a life that shines forth the love of Christ in the world, and whenever I think of how God might be calling me in my own life, I think back to the lessons he taught us every day. He introduced me and a small group of other students to Dostoevsky, and in doing so, instilled within me a love for the classics and beautiful literature. This was a gift far greater than anything I can ever imagine, and has made my life all the richer. He was and will always remain one of those mentors in my life that I will never forget, and for whom I will always be grateful. I have always believed that my high school experiences helped to shape the person I have become, and I believe that Mr. Conway's character, his honesty and genuine care for his students helped to make us better people than we otherwise would have been. I know he made a difference in my life, as well as in the lives of others. My prayers are with his family and close friends, and I pray that we will all, in our own way, celebrate a life that was too brief, but brilliant and important.

I am so sorry to hear of his passing. I remember learning about Tolstoy from him. Just this past week, I mentioned some wise counsel he gave me in highschool to my children. To get an educated opinion of something, read many books on that topic and start to see corrolative and divergent themes. Then you will be able to have an understanding of the topic. May his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace. Karen Meitzen Early

we luv you

Mr. Conway was teaching government and civics during our senior year (73) at Kelly, during Watergate and the end of the Vietnam era. He helped open our eyes to the world around us and challenged us to think, not just react. He would always smile and laugh, even at himself. I'm sorry for your loss.

I'm so sorry to hear of the loss of Mr. Conway, but I know that he has a special place awaiting. What a wonderful man he was. When Bishop Byrne High School closed in Port Arthur, a few of us went to our "Arch Rival" school...Kelly High School! He was one of the first to make me and others feel truly welcome, and even endeavored to establish a band program at Kelly, since several of us were in band and the Colleen Drum and Bugle Corps at Bishop Byrne. His love of faith and the arts and great literature always inspired us. But perhaps his greatest gift to us was his desire to know each one of us as individuals, and to zoom in on those things that he felt he needed to teach each of us. He will be missed, but will continue to inspire us.

JOHN WAS A GREAT INSPERATION TO OUR FAMILY. NOT ONLY TO OUR CHILDREN HE TAUGHT , BUT ALSO TO US AS PARENTS. HE ALWAYS HAD TIME, SMILE, FOR EVERYONE THAT CAME TO HIM. VERY GOOD EDUCATOR.

Rest in Peace, Mr. Conway, and Thanks for all you did for all of us.

To Erin & family. We share in your sympathy. You and your family are in our thoughts and prayers.

I can not begin to relate how large an impact John Conway has had on my life. It is enough to say that I have taught in Catholic high schools for the past 12 years. Much of that I owe that to him. I try every day to approach my profession with the same sense of responsibility, the same sense of wonder, the same sense of ministry that I saw in John every day at Monsignor Kelly High School. He inspired me as a student, impressed me as a man of faith, and was always there for me and my friends. I loved him dearly (...I have every letter he ever wrote me while I was in college, while I was on retreats, etc.). What a profound gift he was! I loved Tolstoy class, depsite the fact that I've only recently started on Anna Karenina and I never read War and Peace. I loved summer camp for the brain ...especially when John invted me back to Kelly to help teach a portion of it. He was my friend, my teacher, my mentor, and a man I still strive to be like each day. My thoughts and prayers are with his family, his friends, his colleagues, the families of Kelly High School, and every student lucky enough to have learned from him.

A friend and teacher!

Rest in peace, John. Don Jeffcoat

My condolences to John's family. I was a classmate of John's sister Margaret in the South Park class of '68. John was one of the group of intelligent guys that I admired from his class like Roy Biser, Donald Dukya, etc. Carl

John was always a friend to everyone - he'll be missed by all.

We knew John as an exceptional teacher at Kelly High School when our son attended Kelly, and always knew he cared for those who learned from his teachings. We will miss this wonderful personality. We pray for his eternal soul, and hope that his life will continue to be celebrated in the lasting influence he made on the young minds he taught and counselled.

Mr. Conway was one of my history teachers while at MKHS 1975. My thoughts and prayers are with the family. May God bless and keep you in His hands during this time of loss.