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<p><em>A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: The hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.</em> – Joseph Campbell, <em>The Hero With a Thousand Faces</em></p>
<p>In 1997, the summer before our firstie year, William Patrick Connelly served as the regimental commander for summer training, with our classmate Jake Larkowich serving as his regimental command sergeant major. At the end of their duty, Patrick gifted Jake a copy of Shōgun, personally inscribing a Japanese saying from the book: (to the effect) “everyone has three faces of themselves—one for the world, one for close friends and family, and one kept secret for himself.” Jake shared this story with me recently and recalled how discerning and unusually perceptive Patrick’s gesture was.</p>
<p>By every measure, the face of Patrick the world saw, as he neared 50 years of age, was his commitment to excellence and exemplary performance—truly, a triumph of success. He graduated first in our class as our First Captain, a rarity only a handful have done since Douglas MacArthur in 1903, and Patrick achieved this feat despite (or due to?) being a Century Man. From postings in Vicenza, Italy and at Fort Hood, TX to a combat tour in Iraq, Patrick’s journey as an infantryman was marked by purpose, adventure, and valor. After seven years of service, Patrick departed the Army for dual master’s degrees at Harvard’s Business School and the Kennedy School of Government. Over the past two decades, Patrick applied his education, expertise, and experience in business, most recently co-founding and leading Amberjack Capital, a successful private equity firm based in Houston, TX.</p>
<p>As viewed through those closest to him—Kathleen, his daughters, family, friends, and colleagues—it is clear Patrick’s most significant sources of pride came from being a husband, father, friend, and mentor. Classmate and companymate Jonathan Hartley recalled over that time, “I’d been amazed by Patrick’s near-superhuman academic, military, and physical abilities—and when he asked me to join him so General Abizaid could pin our second lieutenant bars on together, that simple gesture captured the selflessness that defined his life.” Kathleen recalled Patrick’s graduation from Ranger School, where many in his cohort came up after the ceremony and told her, “I’m graduating because of Patrick’s support and the ways he brought us together and lifted us up.” Patrick’s daughter Vivian remembers him as “the perfect girl dad, because he always knew how to deal with my emotions, even when I didn’t know how to deal with them!” His daughter Marion reminisced about the establishment of “Connelly University,” sort of an Ivy League for life skills, whereby Patrick would train his daughters on tasks such as changing a blown fuse or unclogging French drains. An executive assistant at Amberjack remembered Patrick’s “unique ability to make everyone feel important, seen, and heard...He was a dedicated husband and father, and he would light up whenever he spoke of his family.”</p>
<p>As each of us only knows our true face, we are left to imagine the face that Patrick kept for himself. Here are three thoughts.</p>
<p>Growing up, Patrick had affixed the poem “Desiderata” by Max Ehrmann to his bedroom wall. Ehrmann only became a poet later in life, and at age 55 wrote this poem, an affirming, measured meditation that became well-known after his death. The poem, Latin for “things desired,” shares wise counsel for living with integrity in a noisy world. It concludes with these lines: And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul... With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy. Some scholars have questioned whether the last part should read “Be cheerful” or “Be careful.” Patrick would have read it as it was surely written: to be cheerful.</p>
<p>On graduation day, Patrick was a member, a “Duck,” of Company D-1. When one thinks of a duck, one imagines a bird gliding effortlessly on the water while, just below the surface, churning methodically and rhythmically. That’s a great metaphor for Patrick: underneath what appeared to be his effortless aplomb and personal mastery was finely tuned machinery of integrity, vision, and intentionality.</p>
<p>Also on graduation day, Patrick was awarded his third-degree black belt in judo. Two foundational principles of judo, as both a combat discipline and an ethical philosophy, are maximum efficiency with minimum effort, with mutual welfare and benefit.</p>
<p><em>It is not important to be better than someone else, but to be better than you were yesterday.</em> — Attributed to Kanō Jigorō, founder of judo</p>
<p>Patrick left our world far too soon, with much still to give. Yet, in his time, he embodied those very principles, maximizing his impact on his community, family, and friends. His legacy lives on through the thousands of relationships he built—each one a testament to his life and the good he left behind.</p>
<p>Grips hands tho’ it be from the shadows…</p>
<p>“Duty Will Not Wait,” ’98. </p>
<p><em>— Neal Carlson, Classmate</em></p>
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