Jonathan D. Connell

The world unexpectedly lost a gentle soul on June 27 with the passing of 43-year old Jonathan Connell of Philadelphia, PA. His death is deeply felt and mourned by an ever-growing number of people who loved and respected him.

Jon is survived by his loving and devoted wife Mary Szczygielski of Philadelphia, PA; father David Connell of Belle Mead, NJ; mother Diane (Dianne Botti) Connell of Fords, NJ; sister Jennifer (Kevin) Kramer and beloved niece and nephews Nate, Grace, and Matthew of Scotch Plains, NJ; brother-in-law Tom (Ashley) Szczygielski and darling niece Piper of Lexington, KY; his dog Ruthie, whom he adored and raised with his wife; and an incredibly close-knit group of longtime friends who quickly became his chosen family.  

Jon earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from Rutgers University (‘01), during which he proudly served as president of his fraternity, Alpha Chi Rho. After spending 5 years consulting at Envision, he went on to graduate with high honors from Duke University (’08) with concurrent JD and MBA degrees, while spending time at the London School of Economics and Political Science and creating his own pharmaceutical consulting firm. Jon’s impressive resume includes working as a summer associate at the law firm Proskauer Rose and an associate attorney at Fried Frank LLC, clerking for the Honorable Rosemary Gambardella in The United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey, and working for law firm Arnold and Porter.

Jon found his professional home with Bristol Myers Squibb helping his business clients navigate the complex regulatory landscape of the pharmaceutical industry. Jon provided counsel in the specialized areas of strategic pricing, distribution practices and contracting, and market access, eventually earning the position of Executive Director and Assistant General Counsel, U.S. Value, Access and Payment, Policy and Government Affairs. Jonathan loved to teach and mentor, and generously shared his expertise and insights with legal colleagues, both inside and outside of BMS.

While Jon was immensely proud of his work at BMS, Jon most loved spending time with his best friend/partner-in-crime/wife, Mary, whom he wed in 2019. Together they traveled around the world, basked in new cities and cultures, and enjoyed going to any concert together. 

Jon leaves behind a legacy of passion for helping friends and strangers alike, finding the best food in any city he traveled to, training for and completing the Philadelphia marathon, and serving as a fiercely loyal husband, uncle, son, brother, and friend.

A private celebration of his life will be held later this month. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to a scholarship being established in Jon’s name to aid Rutgers students overcoming adversity. If interested, please reach out to JonConnellScholarship@gmail.com.