Art Conners, age 67, of Brookings, passed away on January 19, 2017, at the Brookings Hospital.  Memorial services will be held on Saturday, January 28, at 1 p.m. at Eidsness Funeral Home, with a visitation beginning one hour prior.  Interment will occur at the Black Hills National Cemetery in Sturgis at a later date.

Art W. Conners was born December 8, 1949 to Charles and Maureen (Sterling) Conners at Waterbury, Connecticut.  He graduated from Wilby High School in Waterbury.  Art received his college degree in counseling from Huron College, in Huron, South Dakota.  He also served in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam war.

Art married Patricia (Thompson) on May 22, 1972.  The couple moved to Chamberlain, SD, where he was a probation officer.  He directed the first county social worker's office in Hand County, SD.  They then moved to Watertown, SD, where Art worked as a Senior Regional Planner, and a Senior Criminal Justice Planner with the First Planning District.  He also worked as an Evaluator/Planner for the Mental Health Center in Watertown.  The couple lived in Custer, SD for a time, where Art worked as a Senior Supervisor at the Youth Forestry Camp.  They then moved to Brookings, SD, where he was a Social Services Regional Coordinator for the state of South Dakota.  Art also worked at ADVANCE as a residential supervisor.  He then worked as the Executive Director of R.E.A.L., an independent living center, in Marshall, MN.  After a lifetime of helping those in the community, Art made the decision to retire after holding a position as the director of the Brookings Activity Center, spending the last 15 years of his career with the organization.

Art was always actively involved in the communities in which he lived.  He was the First Chairperson of the South Dakota Jaycee Foundation.  He held numerous offices in the Jaycees, including President of two chapters. Art served on the South Dakota Advocacy Board of Directors for many years and was the President of the Watertown Boys and Girls Club.  Art was also the recipient of the National Boys Club Medallion Award, as well as numerous other awards for his service.  Art was also a proud member of the Brookings American Legion.

Art enjoyed many pleasures in life, including watching professional football.  An avid Green Bay Packers fan, he was greatly looking forward to watching his team advance in the play-offs.  He was also a fan of the Fighting Sioux hockey team.  Art enjoyed attending any event in which his children were involved, and loved spending time with his family.  He greatly enjoyed attending potlucks, and especially enjoyed playing pool with the guys at the Brookings Activity Center.  Riding the BATA bus was another source of enjoyment for Art, and he looked forward to days that he was able to take a longer ride on the bus because other passengers were dropped off first.

He is survived by his wife, Patricia and two children, Jennifer and Tim, of Brookings; sisters Lana (James) Wrenn of Waterbury, CN; and Sandy Barber, of Nashville, TN; mother-in-law Mary Jane Thompson of Huron, SD; sisters-in-laws Cherie (Joe) Egger and Karen (Garrett) Neuman, both of Omaha, NE; brothers-in-law Richard Thompson of Huron, SD; and Brian Thompson of Brookings; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Art was preceded in death by his parents.