IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Ched McConnell
Indomitable is kind of an old fashioned word. You don’t hear it used much today. If you say someone has an indomitable spirit, you admire them because they never give up or admit they have been defeated. The word fits Ched McConnell, who never seems to let bad news defeat him.
Ched has lived in Boca Grande since 2007, moving here with his wife Maureen when he closed his investment banking firm in Morristown, New Jersey. For many years Ched worked for a large firm in New York City, traveling a great deal and becoming very successful. At some point, though, he realized he was losing touch with his family and made a break from the firm.
He started his own investment banking company two miles away from his home and was able to slip out of the office and attend the lacrosse games and other events his children were excelling in.
“It was the smartest decision I ever made,” he said.
Now, Ched is known by many through his volunteer and board member positions.
“I’ve always enjoyed volunteering: It’s kind of like giving back,” he said.
Ched has served three different Boca Grande organizations as both board member and treasurer – the Boca Grande Historical Society, the Barrier Island Parks Society and the Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association. He served in both capacities for the Historical Society for five years and for the Barrier Island Parks Society for six years.
The Sea Turtle Association has been a longer commitment. He and Maureen were founding members of that group in 2012. Maureen, who died in 2020, was the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission permit holder for the island for five years. That meant she was the principal person monitoring the nesting of the sea turtles on the island and was responsible for recruiting other volunteers to help in doing the patrol work. Today there are about 20 volunteers on sea turtle patrol.
He is concerned that he is the only resident of the island on the Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association board and is hoping to recruit someone who has strong ties to the island to join him.
One of the main difficulties in finding a good candidate is that many of the potential members leave the island at the same time as the turtles are arriving. Even the volunteers are all from somewhere other than Boca Grande.
Ched – a contraction for Charles Edward – never joined in the turtle patrol but has been a staunch supporter and board member from the beginning. Now, he has moved into the board president’s role and plans to stay active with the group for as long as possible.
“Until they take me out of here feet first,” he quipped.
The reason Ched has never been part of the turtle patrol, which requires walking the beach daily during nesting season, is that he uses a walker. It does not do well in the sand. He was diagnosed with leukemia in 2002 and has now been in remission for 19 years, but it has left him unable to walk without assistance. Not to be deterred, his indomitable spirit kicked in and allowed him to find other ways to help his beloved turtles.
“I was diagnosed through my white blood cell count, which was up over 100,000,” he explained, adding that the normal range is 3,000 to 10,000. “Many doctors who have seen my records told me I should have died, right there. I was put on an HIV drug that lowered the white blood cell count, then was given what, at that point, was the best medication for the type of leukemia that I had. My white blood cell count remained low, but the underlying problem was still in my blood system. I needed a stem cell transplant, and it turned out my brother was a perfect match.” Ched did a lot of research regarding the best place to go for that, and found that it wasn’t the Sloan Ketterings, nor the MD Andersons. The leader in stem cell transplants (the allogeneic type of transplant, which is one person donating to another) was a place called the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, affiliated with University of Washington, Seattle. So that’s where he went.
He was in the hospital in Seattle for 18 days, then under observation for more than three weeks.
“We stayed in a Marriott Residence Inn on Lake Union, so it was VERY nice,” he recalled. He and Maureen found Seattle delightful, without one rainy day in all their time in that normally rainy city.
Although he was still under medical observation and was placed on continuous medication, he found he could travel. He and Maureen toured the nation’s northwest coast and discovered a number of trips they could take by ferry. The area started to feel like home to them.
He got a call from his oncologist one day in 2009. The doctor said, “Ched, there’s a 95 percent probability you’re going to die of something other than leukemia.”
Ched admits jokingly that he was a little disappointed that he would actually still die of something, at some time. While that “something” might not be leukemia, it may prove to be a life-long companion.
The original diagnosis came just two years after Ched had retired and moved to Boca Grande. He had been to Boca Grande a number of times fishing and wanted to settle here, but Maureen had never been to the island and wanted to check out other areas. They eventually bought a house in Boca Grande Isles and loved being there. Ched is a sailor and a fisherman who has a 34-foot sailboat and a fishing boat kept off Montauk, so being on the water makes him very happy.
He was quite proud of that boat in Montauk.
“It was a one-off; I had it built,” he said. “A Downeast lobster hull with a fly bridge, with a top and a tuna tower. It was a striking boat.”
Unfortunately, he lost his balance to the leukemia, making it impossible to do the continual maintenance that is required to own boats. He found himself sitting at home, staring out the window at his boat.
“I couldn’t stand it anymore,” he said, “so we sold the house in the Isles and moved to the Boca Grande Club. Here, if you have a problem, you call property management. I am extremely happy living here. I’m in love with this Club.”
Ched said their gym was recently redone, making it “maybe the nicest gym on the island.” He also said the restaurant is great.
“Some would argue that it’s the best restaurant on the island. If it’s not, it is one of the top two or three.”
He noted that he can’t use the beach, because his wheels do not work well in the sand … but he can sure make his way up to the tiki bar.
“I know a lot of people here, the staff are all very nice to me. So I enjoy it here.”
Ched has three children and three grandchildren, all of whom make it to Boca Grande at least once or twice a year. His grandchildren have continued with success in sports that his children showed in their school years. His 14-year-old granddaughter excels in lacrosse and girls ice hockey.
“As a freshman she led her team in scoring,” he said, proudly. His 12-year-old grandson is following suit, standing out as a lacrosse player, as well.
His third grandchild is only two, so she is not competing yet … except to see who will give her more love and attention.
“I was fortunate enough to be able to send my three kids to prep school, and to college. And I’m going to send my (however many) grandchildren I have to college, too. I will put my kids and my grandkids through the total educational process. Then I can look back and say it’s been a life well-lived.”
