Father James Ebert, Diocese of Albany pastor, cherishes memories of his mentor and friend, Reverend J. Thomas Connery.

“I call him my weekend warrior because whenever we needed help he never hesitated,” Ebert said. “I was ordained at my home parish and he was there for it” 

Connery, an 82-year-old Troy native, served as a pastor across the country for more than 50 years. Even after retirement, Connery traveled all over upstate New York delivering mass in 14 different counties, but Ebert had no idea the town of Norway would be Connery's last stop.

“He was going down for [All Saints Day], his car got stuck, and he must have gotten disoriented,” Ebert said.

Connery was swept away by an overnight storm Thursday — heavy downpours washed out the road he was driving on. State police found Connery’s body the following day.

“The little dots here are each Mesonet,” said Nick Bassill, UAlbany Atmospheric meteorologist.

Bassill works with the Mesonet program in UAlbany, tracking potentially dangerous weather systems like the one Connery was caught in.

“Parts of Herkimer and Hamilton County, they got almost six inches of rain in spots — which is a lot of rain in a short amount of time,” Bassill said.

He says the data collected by the 126 weather observation stations can be used to help people avoid going out in bad weather.

“One way to be safe is to have a Noah weather radio, so you would get an alert if something cataclysmic was happening, such as a flash flood,” Bassill said.

Ebert believes out of tragedy, Connery’s tireless work is the legacy he leaves behind.

“He died doing what he loved and that was being with people, serving the Lord, and serving his brothers and sisters,” Ebert said.