IN LOVING MEMORY OF

Bruce Grenville

Holran

May 24, 1934 – August 20, 2021

Obituary

Bruce G. Holran passed away peacefully on Friday, August 20, 2021, at Masonic Village, Elizabethtown, Pa. at the age of 87.

Born in Hackensack, N.J. on May 24, 1934 to the late Margaret Ruth Chapple and Herbert Grenville Holran, Bruce became a child model in New York City at age 8 where his red wavy hair and twinkling smile had him on national magazine covers and billboards.

Bruce was a proud graduate of Mount Herman School (now Northfield Mount Herman) (1952) and Colgate University (1956).

He spent 40 years as a college administrator and public relations practitioner starting with public relations and development positions at his Alma Maters before becoming director of public relations at Clark University in 1964. Moving to Lancaster in 1968, he held both positions of director of public relations and sports information director at Franklin & Marshall College for 18 years before becoming director of college relations at Elizabethtown College in 1986. He was passionate about vocabulary and well-constructed sentences, expressive photography and layouts, and was recognized nationally, along with his colleagues, for the award-winning F&M Today magazine.

Bruce led by example as a citizen, public servant and volunteer serving as a judge of elections, on education boards, and on boards of trustee and advisory boards for organizations including The Samaritan Counseling Center, Intermediate Unit 13, Lancaster-Lebanon Council Boy Scouts of America, Highland Presbyterian Church and the Lancaster Environmental Action Federation (LEAF) where he co-founded the Recycling Center Project in 1974. He also was a member of Masonic Lodge No. 43, Lancaster, Pa.

Bruce was elected three times, serving 12 years, including four years as president, to the Manheim Township Schools Board of Directors, having the privilege and honor to confer diplomas to four of five children.

His university's summer camp on Upper Saranac Lake, NY, led to a love of the Adirondack mountains and lifelong friendships. He and Barbara spent summers and falls of their retirement years at their camp "Home Away," where they hosted friends and family and enjoyed giving many boat tours sharing the history of the lake and unique Adirondack architecture. Bruce enjoyed playing tennis, golf, the challenge of The New York Times crossword puzzles, and loved a good game of cribbage.

While at the lake, he held volunteer positions for the Back Bay and Upper Saranac Lake Associations, helping with the loon count and protecting the fragile St. Regis region watershed.

Bruce is survived by his wife of 47 years, Barbara Erb Holran; their five children: Elizabeth Holran, Falls Church, Va.; Peter (Pamela) Holran, Falls Church Va.; Jill Holran Kurash, Royalton Vt.; Holly Himes, Oroville, Calif.; and Jeffrey (Claudia) Himes, Lancaster, Pa.; and four grandchildren: Erica and Evan Kurash, and Carolyn and Gaarison Holran. He is also survived by his sister, Joan Holran Benneyan, Brattleboro, Vt., extended family and many friends. He was predeceased by his first wife, Carolyn Tillou Holran. Earlier this month, he enjoyed a visit with all his children and grandchildren.

A Celebration of Bruce's life will take place at 2:00 PM on Saturday, October 16, 2021, at Highland Presbyterian Church, 500 East Roseville Road, Lancaster, PA, 17601, where the family will receive guests beginning at 1:00 PM. To honor Bruce, consider a donation to the Samaritan Counseling Center, 1803 Oregon Pike, Lancaster, PA 17601, or to the Upper Saranac Lake Foundation, P O Box 564, Saranac Lake, NY, 12983, or the charity of your choice; volunteer at your local election polls, and vote in every election.

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October
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