Rochelle-Woodley, Connie

Connie Rochelle-Woodley was born Connie Lou Clay on June 11th, 1938, in Cassopolis, Michigan. She fought cancer valiantly until her passing on July 21st, 2021. Connie is survived by her wife Leigh Rochelle-Woodley, her brother John, (Kathy) Clay, her stepdaughters: Heather (Dan) Johnson and Melissa (Bob) Evans, as well as her grandchildren, Aaron Johnson, Leigh Johnson, Nickolas Evans, and Zachary Evans. She was predeceased by her parents William and Caroline Clay.

Connie was loving, musical, accepting, caring, empathetic, an educator, and a counselor. She shined light on this world through her brilliance, her candor, and her ability to be genuine helped others also be genuine to their selves.

Connie enjoyed her career at Rochester City School district. She received her Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Potsdam and her Masters from the University of Rochester Eastman School of Music. She had a passion for music that she imparted to her students. Her love of learning led her to continue her education and obtain her Master’s degree in counseling from St. Lawrence University.

The church community was a place for Connie to further pursue her music. She sang in the choir of the Downtown Presbyterian Church and also played piano for several other churches. She felt blessed to be able to bring joy to people through music. She became a church elder for the Downtown Presbyterian Church in 2001 and completed the training to serve as a Stephen Minister in 2010.

Connie loved adventure and spent time riding horses and motorcycles. Connie and Leigh would take their camper on road trips. Their favorite destination became a Canadian campground where they could experience the wilderness as well as participate in rituals with Native Americans. 

She loved animals and was a dog mama through and through. Connie relished the time she spent caring for her dogs and their companionship. Other interests including football and tennis. She loved to cheer on the Buffalo Bills and champion the next up-and-coming tennis player. Connie also wanted to support women and their plight to excel and fight for equal rights.

Connie was thrilled to be able to legally marry her long-time partner, Leigh, in Ontario, Canada, in 2004 and finally call her “wife”. They had a beautiful ceremony surrounded by family and friends to support their joyous occasion.  

Connie delighted in her role as a grandmother and treasured watching her grandchildren grow from babies to adults who could talk about sports, politics, and the state of the world with her. She generously wanted to bestow gifts on them whenever possible. She especially appreciated their companionship during the last few years of her life.

Connie’s zest for life led to her decision at age 82 to not accept death without a fight and try to beat her cancer diagnosis. She wanted more time to love and be loved by her family and friends.

Connie was a lighthouse for others, and her light and honesty will keep shining. We hope your reunion with your mother is all you dreamed it would be, and your father welcomed you with open arms. Connie will be greatly missed.

A service and reception for Connie will be held on August 28th of 2021, at 11 AM at the Downtown Presbyterian Church. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance at PO Box 32141 NY, NY 10087-2141 or online at https://ocrahope.org/