Oneonta, NY - ONEONTA - Dr. Brian Patrick Holleran, 83, of Oneonta, and Sarasota, Florida, passed away peacefully July 2, 2026 while a resident at Bridges Memory Care, Trumbull, Connecticut.

Born in Youngstown, Ohio to the late William and Honora (Walsh) Holleran, Brian was the third of ten children in a big Irish-Catholic family. He attended St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron before graduating from Kent State University in 1964. He then enrolled at The Ohio State University where he earned a Ph.D. in Communications.

In 1969, Brian accepted a teaching position in the Speech and Theater Department at SUNY Oneonta. During his nearly thirty year career, he became a tenured, full professor and served as the department chair for many years, a position he truly loved.

Soon after arriving in Oneonta, Brian met fellow professor Paula Rizzo and they married in August 1970. Two children and many happy years followed. Following retirement, Brian and Paula became snowbirds and spent many wonderful years splitting time between their Goodyear Lake cottage and Sarasota, Florida. Brian loved to travel, was an avid tennis player, and loved woodworking. He was an eternal optimist and could be described in the same way he described almost every other man he met; "a real nice guy!"

He is survived by his daughter, Tracy (Steven Mattus) of Fairfield, Connecticut; son, Brett (Mica) of Oneonta; and four grandchildren, Hayden and Campbell Mattus of New York, and Brett Jr. and Bella Holleran of Oneonta.

Calling hours will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8, at Lewis, Hurley & Pietrobono Family Funeral Home, 51 Dietz Street, Oneonta; www.lhpfuneralhome.com. Funeral services will be private.