One More Tribute to Two Dads

By Joe McConnell

Another year will be ending in two days, and traditionally newspaper reporters would have already wreaked havoc through their archives to chronicle the most important stories for that final week’s publication. It’s never an easy task, but some years are tougher than others.

In 2023, The Advocate family had to sadly cope with losses. On June 30, the newspaper’s cofounder, James Donald Mitchell, Jr., passed away, and just 12 days later on July 11, my dad, Joseph F. McConnell, Sr., left us for the world of eternal life, as well. At that point, the emotions and memories started to flow. It had nothing to do with their careers, but what they meant to the world around them as a whole.

As his sportswriter for the better part of three decades. I saw Jim’s newspaper empire grow exponentially. It all started in his native Chelsea, but in 1993, his son, James David Mitchell, bought out his dad’s company, Suffolk County Publications, and, through his own company, Advocate Newspapers, Inc., expanded to Revere and Everett, where it became a must-read every Friday, and it still is to this day.

Jim and his son have never been afraid to expose the inner workings of city government, while still promoting Everett Pride in their thorough coverage of its exemplary sports teams coupled with the tremendous overall accomplishments of the city’s residents.

The Mitchells eventually went into Malden and Saugus, and just like in Everett and Revere, those publications have also become the papers of record over time in their communities. They have also significantly grown their online presence to give those readers who have moved away from the area an opportunity to catch up on their hometowns on a weekly basis.

But beyond all this was a man who championed the underdog. Jimmy’s dad treated everybody with the respect they deserved. It didn’t matter to him if they were able-bodied or they had special needs, they were all the same to him. He befriended them all, and if they had a need, he’d voluntarily reach into his pocket or make a phone call to help them out. He also approached charities and civic-minded organizations the same way. His philanthropy was immeasurable – to go along with the thousands of people he personally met throughout the decades, many of whom still have their own positive memories of him.

My dad, who served in the Navy during World War II and in the National Guard during the Korean War, retired from the telephone company in 1987 after almost five decades on the job. But he often said that the subsequent 35 years were definitely more rewarding in the spirit of volunteerism. He volunteered often at the Little Sisters of the Poor elderly complex on Highland Avenue in Somerville. He started out cutting vegetables in the kitchen to help get the meals ready every day for the residents. He eventually added to his responsibilities by driving the bus on local day trips or even overnight stays to other homes owned by the Little Sisters in nearby states – Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania – in order to help those residents who wanted to get away for a few hours to a few days.

Dad also helped out at the daily Masses in the Home’s chapel. He was a lector, eucharistic minister and even arguably the world’s oldest altar boy. He did all that work for the Home while still finding time to visit my sister and her family in California. He’d go out there twice a year, once with my mother and once by himself.

After my mom died in 2001, he eventually moved into his own independent apartment on the Little Sisters campus, where he stayed for the next 22 years. He continued helping out, because that was his nature, while still being welcoming to everybody he met along the way.

Just like Jim Mitchell, my dad also gave to many charities. While Jim would help anyone who would walk through The Advocate office door on a regular basis, my dad would also do the same for anyone who needed a helping hand. They never had to be embarrassed, because the two dads never wanted to see anybody go without. They would give them as much as they could afford.

It’s now up to us to carry on their selfless legacies to get our portion of the world back on track.