Bruce G. Holran

Born on May 24, 1934 in Hackensack, New Jersey, he was the son of the late Margaret Ruth Chapple and Herbert Grenville Holran.

Bruce became a child model at age 8 in New York City, where his red wavy hair and twinkling smile had him on national magazine covers and billboards.

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

Bruce 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, Pennsylvania, 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 two 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.

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, New York, led to a love of the Adirondack Mountains and lifelong friendships. He and Barbara spent summers and falls of their retirement years at their Saranac Inn 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. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Saranac Lake.

Bruce is survived by his wife of 47 years, Barbara Erb Holran; their five children, Elizabeth Holran of Falls Church, Virginia, Peter (Pamela) Holran of Falls Church, Virginia, Jill Holran Kurash of Royalton, Vermont, Holly Himes of Oroville, California, and Jeffrey (Claudia) Himes of Lancaster, Pennsylvania; and four grandchildren, Erica and Evan Kurash, and Carolyn and Gaarison Holran. He is also survived by his sister Joan Holran Benneyan of Brattleboro, Vermont; extended family; and many friends.

Earlier this month, he enjoyed a visit with all his children and grandchildren.

He was predeceased by his first wife, Carolyn Tillou Holran.

A celebration of Bruce’s life will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 16 at Highland Presbyterian Church, 500 East Roseville Road, Lancaster, where the family will receive guests beginning at 1 p.m.

To honor Bruce, consider a donation to the Upper Saranac Lake Foundation, PO Box 564, Saranac Lake, NY 12983, or the charity of your choice; volunteer at your local election polls; and vote in every election.

For online condolences, visit snyderfuneralhome.com.