Edward A. Connors, 85, of emeritus professor of mathematics, died on June 14, 2026.

Connors served 33 years on the UMass mathematics faculty, including as chair of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics from 1977-82 and undergraduate program advisor from 1993-2001. Connors retired in 2002.

His obituary can be found below.

Mathematics Professor Emeritus Edward A. Connors, 85, of Easthampton, died on June 14, 2026.

A scholar-athlete and native of Chicopee, Connors graduated from Chicopee High School in 1958. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from The College of the Holy Cross in 1962, a master’s degree in mathematics from UMass Amherst in 1964 and a Ph.D. in mathematics from The University of Notre Dame in 1969.

After serving 33 years on the UMass mathematics faculty, including as chair of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics from 1977-82 and undergraduate program advisor from 1993-2001, Connors retired as Professor Emeritus in 2002.

Connors is survived by his wife of 57 years Mary Ann, a son James, and a daughter Kathleen, who was his primary caregiver. He is also survived by his sister-in-law Elinor Connors (Holyoke, MA) and brother-in-law Dr. Nicholas J. Corbo (Reading, PA) and nine nephews and nieces.

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He was preceded in death by his parents James J. Connors and Camillia Rachel (Gendron) Connors, his sister Mary (Connors) Viamari, his brother James J. Connors Jr., brother-in-law Robert Viamari, niece Lynn (Connors) Henry, sister-in-law Barbara Corbo, father-in-law Dominick Corbo and mother-in-law Josephine Corbo.

Connors was devoted to the teaching, study and research of mathematics. He was a fierce advocate for mathematics education and a champion of the practical application of mathematics across academic disciplines, scientific research, technology and industry. He taught an array of undergraduate and graduate level courses.

Connors once described himself as a mathematics philanthropist. He believed mathematics was a universal language and proficiency in the discipline was essential. He encouraged students to excel in their studies, and further their mathematical pursuits, while also diligently working to combat negative perceptions about math – a problem he believed needed to be solved. He thought breaking through to the student who disliked mathematics was as important as teaching his mathematically gifted students. He took great pride in writing scores of letters of recommendations for his students.

He was a member of the American Mathematical Society and the Mathematical Association of America. He served as a visiting faculty member at The United States Military Academy at West Point from 1998-2001. He was awarded a Commander’s Award for Public Service at West Point. He was also a visiting faculty member at Notre Dame, Harvard, Amherst College and Mount Holyoke College. In 1990-91 he directed the Office of Governmental and Public Affairs for the Joint Policy Board for Mathematics in Washington, D.C.

Connors was especially proud of the mathematical modeling teams he coached at UMass and West Point. He regarded organizing the symposium hosted in honor of Professor Marshall H. Stone in 1979 as one of the most significant achievements of his time as 

His research papers in quadratic forms and classical groups appeared in numerous journals and scholarly publications. He authored opinion articles, guest editorials and provided commentary on mathematics education in a variety of media platforms. Dr. Edward and Dr. Mary Ann Connors coauthored several articles on the use of handheld technology in mathematics and made joint presentations on this topic at national and international meetings. In 1997-98, they directed an Eisenhower Project, Integrating Technology in the School Mathematics Curriculum.

Connors was a faculty consultant to the AP Calculus Program of the College Board for several years. He also served as a volunteer AP Calculus teacher at Easthampton High 

Connors was inducted into the Chicopee Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010, a three-sport (football, basketball, baseball) athletic career highlighted by a 5-for-5 performance in a 1958 Western Mass. Baseball Tournament game (two triples, two singles and a double) – a record that stood for decades. In 1997, he was selected as Marshall of the Easthampton 

He was a father who encouraged his daughter to participate and excel in sports. He was active in the founding of the Amherst Tritons Swim team, including a stint as team President. He also served on the Amherst Leisure Services Committee. He enjoyed reading, travelling, playing golf, walking and ballroom dancing with his wife.

A funeral Mass was celebrated on Tuesday June 23 at The Newman Catholic Center in Amherst, followed by burial at St. Brigid’s Cemetery in Hadley. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Newman Catholic Center, an important, influential and indispensable part of Professor Connors life and his faith. https://www.newmanumass.org