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Patrick Nicholas Colleran
10/14/1968 — 02/15/2006
From Columbia, MO, US | Born in San Jose, California
Patrick Nicholas Colleran
Patrick Nicholas Colleran, PhD October 14, 1968 February 15, 2006
Patrick Nicholas Colleran was born on October 14th, 1968 to Jan and Donald Colleran in San Jose, California. Patrick lived in Richland for 17 years, attending Christ the King Grade School and Hanford High School.
Patrick received his Bachelors Degree from Whitworth College in Spokane; his Masters Degree from Drury College in Missouri, and his Doctorate in Physiology from Texas A&M University. He was working as a post doctoral fellow @ University of Missouris Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center, with aspirations of becoming an independent researcher.
Patrick had a lifelong passion for soccer, playing for over 25 years at the youth, high school, premier and collegiate level. One of Patricks greatest memories was playing soccer in England, during which he lived above a pub where he worked. His love of the sport brought him many life long friends, in various parts of the country. Patrick was a fearless and adventurous traveler, a voracious reader, and a true academic. He devoted his adulthood to education and research, and beamed with pride when speaking of his academic interests and accomplishments.
Patrick is survived by his mother, Jan Colleran, sisters Monica and Katie Colleran, brother Dan Colleran, nephews Chance and Gage, and niece Haley, the apple of Patricks eye. He is preceded in death by his father, Donald Colleran.
Funeral services will be 1pm on March 4th, 2006 at Christ the King Church in Richland. Wake to follow at the Hampton Inn.
Donations towards a college scholarship fund in Patricks honor may be sent to: Jan Colleran, 1924 Howell Ave, Richland, WA 99354. Donations may also be made to a charity of your choice.
My dear friend. Its been 16 years since you passed and I still miss you. I will never stop remembering you on this day and try to do some kind of social media post to honor our friendship. you were one of the best friends this life has given me and I wish we could have one more conversation.
love you brother.
Kevin Moon
Jan, Monica, Dan and Katie,
My heart aches with your loss. Patrick’s life was a gift to all who knew him. His presence made whatever was happening better. His smile could stop a train. I am thankful for the opportunity to share your house and family for a short while. May we all try to live and play with the courage, integrity and wisdom that Pat did. He made a difference in this world. I pray for peace in your hearts and the comfort of family love to get you through.
In my 24 years in education, whether as a teacher or assistant principal, I have had the good fortune to have met thousands of fine young men and women. Patrick Colleran was among the best. I got to know Patrick as a student of mine when I first began teaching at Hanford High School in the early 1980’s. I will always remember Patrick for the kind hearted young man that he was. Both his fellow students and teachers had nothing but good to say about Patrick. He truly set a good example for all those with whom he came in contact.
My deepest sympathy goes out to his mother and siblings. I am so sorry for your loss. Please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers. I would also like to send a special message to Dan: I know you were a great brother to Patrick. May God bless you as you deal with this loss.
Sincerely,
Mike Nordsten
It was so sad to hear the news about Pat. He was a great friend! I have so many wonderful memories of him. It was great to read how successful he has been in his life. It sounds like he continued touching peoples lives as he had always done. I wish I had been able to see him after high school, he was someone that was very special to me.
Jan, Glenn and I send our deepest sympathy to you and your family. Patrick was a wonderful person and will clearly be missed by many people.
We will remember Pat as a true team member. He was a hard worker and liked by everyone. He and his family added much to the soccer program in the Tri-Cities as it developed.
My sincere condolences. I’ve known Pat since high school but got to know him best in the past few years. Pat always treated those around him with respect. Even if you didn’t know him well, you felt as if you were talking with a dear friend. He was most certainly one of a kind, and he will be greatly missed.
My hearfelt sympathy goes out to Colleran family. I miss seeing Patrick in the hallways and in our office. He always had a smile and compassion for others. I hope you will find comfort in special memories and others that care. Many blessings.
Patrick was one of the first people that I met as a new grad student at Texas A&M back in ’98. He was incredibly helpful and really made me feel at ease. P-diddy, as he was known to other grad students at A&M had a great sense of humor and a very caring soul. Pat is the only person that I have ever written a song about and I will never forget him saying “Why aren’t you responding to the painful stimuli???!!!”. Rest in peace.
All of us from Texas A&M will miss Patrick greatly. Our hearts go out ot you at this time of such loss. Working with Patrick was truly a blessing, and he will be remembered as a true friend and outstanding colleague.
I want to express my sincerest condolences to Patrick’s family. My wife and I were in complete disbelief when we first heard about Patrick’s death. I counted Patrick as one of my closest friends. We basically started and finished grad school together and continued to hang out at science conferences. One of my fondest memories of Patrick is of him interacting with my newborn son, Nick. Pat was a kind, intelligent, loyal friend who was always quick with a joke or comforting words. Cheers Pat!
To Jan and Family:
I was so completely shocked to hear the news of Pat’s passing. I can only imagine what it must be like for you all during this time. I am so sorry for your loss our loss. I have nothing but fond memories of Pat. Of playing soccer together. His love of music. His strong sense of what is right a perfect testament to the way he was raised. His big porkchop sideburns. His quick sense of humor and infectious laugh. I was most impressed with the passion that he had when describing his field of study. I can say with complete certainty that, although I like what I do, I don’t have the same passion. It is something I always admired about his educational and career path. I am so proud to have known him. So blessed to call him my friend. You are all in my thoughts and prayers.
Love
Brian Brendel
I was so sad to hear about Pat. I played soccer from middle-school through college with him and have a lot of great memories of that tall, quiet, hilarious, sometimes slightly sadistic bloke. To be honest, when I remember back twenty-five years, I think I was scared of him at first: I guess because he sort of looked like he was fronting a metal band. But he was always the friendliest guy. And through the years at Whitworth, he worked so hard at soccer and school. He had an obvious drive and passion for whatever he did. I wish I had half his energy.
condolences,
Joel Hunter
Dear Jan, Dan and Colleran Family,
I am a long ways from Richland but know that I will be praying for you and Collerans in Australia. It has been 25 years since Pat used to babysit me and my brothers, but I don’t think I will ever forget how good he was at pretty much everything. As the youngest of four I didn’t get to have too many new things, and while it wasn’t much I got a fancy toothbrush case for a present and in the course of the night Pat was watching us it got stepped on and smashed to bits. In typical four year old fashion I pitch quite a fit. Pat calmed me down and spent the next hour fixing my case with an array of cardboard and duct tape, and convinced me it was even better than it was before it was broken.
Today I mourn the loss of one of my heros.
Peace and prayers,
Tom Gannon
My parents told me of this very sad news. For the last couple of days I have been remembering times that I saw Pat, whether at church, at his family’s house at Katie’s sleepover or at my neighbor’s house who he played soccer with. It has been a long time but I remember him always having a smile and having such a positive outlook on life. My thoughts and prayers are with his family. Today I’m in Dublin Ireland and as I cannot be there for Pat’s Funeral I’m going to light a candle and say a special prayer for him in St. Patrick’s Cathedral here in Dublin. My deepest sympathies.
I went to high school with Pat and I will always remember him as accepting in a way that eludes most high schoolers. To be friends with Pat was to truely be friends with him. You always knew where you stood with him and he was always a pleasure to be around. The last time I saw Pat he had just finished his dissertation and had accepted the job in Missouri. He seemed a little nervous about moving and being alone. After reading the emails in this guest book it’s clear to see that Pat was never alone. He made friends easily and kept them even more easily. I consider my self fortunate to have known Pat and I will always remember the thoughtful manner with which he carried himself.
Jan, Monica, Kate and Dan,
I grieve for Patricks loss, and I long for the opportunity to talk with him about Richland and your family now that I have had a chance to see the town and meet you all. Patricks life was short, but it is obvious that it was full of love among family and friends. By all measures Patrick gave a good account of himself, and the pride your family can take in his life makes the loss all the more grievous. I offer each of you my most sincere condolences and prayers of support.
I have such warm memories of Patrick. Every time we came back to Richland from school it was always so easy to fall back into friendship. Pat was so accepting of all of his friends & brought a great sense of mischief with him wherever he went. I so admired his love of academia & quest for adventure. I know his loss will leave a tremendous void. Jan & family, I am so sorry for your loss.
Lisa Woods Mills
Mrs. Colleran & Family,
My prayers are with you during this most difficult time. Pat was a great person – I lost touch with him over the years, but his accomplishments don’t surprise me. He was always so energetic and such a go-getter. My memories of him are all in high school where we were friends. He was a lot of fun, always the life of the party. I always remembered his soccer stories and his fake British accent that he learned on his trip to England. Nearly 20 years later my memories of him are all good and I think of him with a smile on my face. I’m so sorry for your loss of Pat. Jeff Kophs
Pat was one of the most genuine, likable, and upbeat persons I knew. He always seemed to have a smile on his face, eager to talk with just about anybody. He was always witty, but he never used his wit to anybody’s expense. He just seemed to think that life was pretty funny and wanted everyone to join in the amusement. My heart goes out to the Colleran family.
I have the fondest memories of Patrick in a class I team-taught back at Texas A&M. He was a graduate student in Kinesiology and took our Advanced Cardiovascular course in the Medical School. I remember Patrick as very quiet but a very hard worker and intensely dedicated to his studies. He came to U Missouri to work as a post-doc about 1.5 years before I decided to move here also. I only had the chance to see him once up here before his accident, much to my regret. I’m very sorry for his loss–it was so premature.
Wow, we are so sad to hear about Pat! Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones. It’s been a long time since we last hung out, but I have nothing but good memories of Pat dating way way back. You could always count on Pat for a laugh and he was always up for a good time. The years we spent as teammates on the soccer field were great, but the fun we had off the field was even better: quoting Monty Python, listening to bad metal bands, sporting spectacularly bad hairdos… Pat was always honest, open and caring, but he had a great mischievious side, too. I have no dull memories involving Pat, that’s for sure…
He will be greatly missed, but we are so glad to have known him and will always remember his strong character and passion for life.
I will always remember walking the few blocks from our house on Cascade, across G-way, and over to Pats house on Howell. We would then head down Newcomer to the Columbia River to skateboard, swim, and skip rocks. We should all feel lucky to have shared in his brief time with us.
I met Patrick at A&M and we worked together in the same lab for about 5 years. He was intelligent, hard-working, and had a great sense of humor. But, above all, he was one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. We’ll miss him greatly, and will keep his family in our thoughts and prayers.
I am so very sad to hear about Pat. He was very admired at HHS – even to the incoming freshmen. My heartfelt condolences to the whole family, especially Dan, that you find the strength to get through this time through the love of your family and friends.
Pat was a remarkable individual. I played soccer with him here in Missouri for the last 3 years. He played with great passion for the game. And win or lose was a joy to have on the team. My thoughts and prayers are with his family. We will miss him.
Jan, Monica, Dan and Katie,
My heart aches with your loss. Patrick’s life was a gift to all who knew him. His presence made whatever was happening better. His smile could stop a train. I am thankful for the opportunity to share your house and family for a short while. May we all try to live and play with the courage, integrity and wisdom that Pat did. He made a difference in this world. I pray for peace in your hearts and the comfort of family love to get you through.
In my 24 years in education, whether as a teacher or assistant principal, I have had the good fortune to have met thousands of fine young men and women. Patrick Colleran was among the best. I got to know Patrick as a student of mine when I first began teaching at Hanford High School in the early 1980’s. I will always remember Patrick for the kind hearted young man that he was. Both his fellow students and teachers had nothing but good to say about Patrick. He truly set a good example for all those with whom he came in contact.
My deepest sympathy goes out to his mother and siblings. I am so sorry for your loss. Please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers. I would also like to send a special message to Dan: I know you were a great brother to Patrick. May God bless you as you deal with this loss.
Sincerely,
Mike Nordsten
It was so sad to hear the news about Pat. He was a great friend! I have so many wonderful memories of him. It was great to read how successful he has been in his life. It sounds like he continued touching peoples lives as he had always done. I wish I had been able to see him after high school, he was someone that was very special to me.
Jan, Glenn and I send our deepest sympathy to you and your family. Patrick was a wonderful person and will clearly be missed by many people.
We will remember Pat as a true team member. He was a hard worker and liked by everyone. He and his family added much to the soccer program in the Tri-Cities as it developed.
My sincere condolences. I’ve known Pat since high school but got to know him best in the past few years. Pat always treated those around him with respect. Even if you didn’t know him well, you felt as if you were talking with a dear friend. He was most certainly one of a kind, and he will be greatly missed.
My hearfelt sympathy goes out to Colleran family. I miss seeing Patrick in the hallways and in our office. He always had a smile and compassion for others. I hope you will find comfort in special memories and others that care. Many blessings.
Patrick was one of the first people that I met as a new grad student at Texas A&M back in ’98. He was incredibly helpful and really made me feel at ease. P-diddy, as he was known to other grad students at A&M had a great sense of humor and a very caring soul. Pat is the only person that I have ever written a song about and I will never forget him saying “Why aren’t you responding to the painful stimuli???!!!”. Rest in peace.
All of us from Texas A&M will miss Patrick greatly. Our hearts go out ot you at this time of such loss. Working with Patrick was truly a blessing, and he will be remembered as a true friend and outstanding colleague.
I want to express my sincerest condolences to Patrick’s family. My wife and I were in complete disbelief when we first heard about Patrick’s death. I counted Patrick as one of my closest friends. We basically started and finished grad school together and continued to hang out at science conferences. One of my fondest memories of Patrick is of him interacting with my newborn son, Nick. Pat was a kind, intelligent, loyal friend who was always quick with a joke or comforting words. Cheers Pat!
To Jan and Family:
I was so completely shocked to hear the news of Pat’s passing. I can only imagine what it must be like for you all during this time. I am so sorry for your loss our loss. I have nothing but fond memories of Pat. Of playing soccer together. His love of music. His strong sense of what is right a perfect testament to the way he was raised. His big porkchop sideburns. His quick sense of humor and infectious laugh. I was most impressed with the passion that he had when describing his field of study. I can say with complete certainty that, although I like what I do, I don’t have the same passion. It is something I always admired about his educational and career path. I am so proud to have known him. So blessed to call him my friend. You are all in my thoughts and prayers.
Love
Brian Brendel
I was so sad to hear about Pat. I played soccer from middle-school through college with him and have a lot of great memories of that tall, quiet, hilarious, sometimes slightly sadistic bloke. To be honest, when I remember back twenty-five years, I think I was scared of him at first: I guess because he sort of looked like he was fronting a metal band. But he was always the friendliest guy. And through the years at Whitworth, he worked so hard at soccer and school. He had an obvious drive and passion for whatever he did. I wish I had half his energy.
condolences,
Joel Hunter
Dear Jan, Dan and Colleran Family,
I am a long ways from Richland but know that I will be praying for you and Collerans in Australia. It has been 25 years since Pat used to babysit me and my brothers, but I don’t think I will ever forget how good he was at pretty much everything. As the youngest of four I didn’t get to have too many new things, and while it wasn’t much I got a fancy toothbrush case for a present and in the course of the night Pat was watching us it got stepped on and smashed to bits. In typical four year old fashion I pitch quite a fit. Pat calmed me down and spent the next hour fixing my case with an array of cardboard and duct tape, and convinced me it was even better than it was before it was broken.
Today I mourn the loss of one of my heros.
Peace and prayers,
Tom Gannon
My parents told me of this very sad news. For the last couple of days I have been remembering times that I saw Pat, whether at church, at his family’s house at Katie’s sleepover or at my neighbor’s house who he played soccer with. It has been a long time but I remember him always having a smile and having such a positive outlook on life. My thoughts and prayers are with his family. Today I’m in Dublin Ireland and as I cannot be there for Pat’s Funeral I’m going to light a candle and say a special prayer for him in St. Patrick’s Cathedral here in Dublin. My deepest sympathies.
I went to high school with Pat and I will always remember him as accepting in a way that eludes most high schoolers. To be friends with Pat was to truely be friends with him. You always knew where you stood with him and he was always a pleasure to be around. The last time I saw Pat he had just finished his dissertation and had accepted the job in Missouri. He seemed a little nervous about moving and being alone. After reading the emails in this guest book it’s clear to see that Pat was never alone. He made friends easily and kept them even more easily. I consider my self fortunate to have known Pat and I will always remember the thoughtful manner with which he carried himself.
Jan, Monica, Kate and Dan,
I grieve for Patricks loss, and I long for the opportunity to talk with him about Richland and your family now that I have had a chance to see the town and meet you all. Patricks life was short, but it is obvious that it was full of love among family and friends. By all measures Patrick gave a good account of himself, and the pride your family can take in his life makes the loss all the more grievous. I offer each of you my most sincere condolences and prayers of support.
I have such warm memories of Patrick. Every time we came back to Richland from school it was always so easy to fall back into friendship. Pat was so accepting of all of his friends & brought a great sense of mischief with him wherever he went. I so admired his love of academia & quest for adventure. I know his loss will leave a tremendous void. Jan & family, I am so sorry for your loss.
Lisa Woods Mills
Mrs. Colleran & Family,
My prayers are with you during this most difficult time. Pat was a great person – I lost touch with him over the years, but his accomplishments don’t surprise me. He was always so energetic and such a go-getter. My memories of him are all in high school where we were friends. He was a lot of fun, always the life of the party. I always remembered his soccer stories and his fake British accent that he learned on his trip to England. Nearly 20 years later my memories of him are all good and I think of him with a smile on my face. I’m so sorry for your loss of Pat. Jeff Kophs
Pat was one of the most genuine, likable, and upbeat persons I knew. He always seemed to have a smile on his face, eager to talk with just about anybody. He was always witty, but he never used his wit to anybody’s expense. He just seemed to think that life was pretty funny and wanted everyone to join in the amusement. My heart goes out to the Colleran family.
I have the fondest memories of Patrick in a class I team-taught back at Texas A&M. He was a graduate student in Kinesiology and took our Advanced Cardiovascular course in the Medical School. I remember Patrick as very quiet but a very hard worker and intensely dedicated to his studies. He came to U Missouri to work as a post-doc about 1.5 years before I decided to move here also. I only had the chance to see him once up here before his accident, much to my regret. I’m very sorry for his loss–it was so premature.
Wow, we are so sad to hear about Pat! Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones. It’s been a long time since we last hung out, but I have nothing but good memories of Pat dating way way back. You could always count on Pat for a laugh and he was always up for a good time. The years we spent as teammates on the soccer field were great, but the fun we had off the field was even better: quoting Monty Python, listening to bad metal bands, sporting spectacularly bad hairdos… Pat was always honest, open and caring, but he had a great mischievious side, too. I have no dull memories involving Pat, that’s for sure…
He will be greatly missed, but we are so glad to have known him and will always remember his strong character and passion for life.
I will always remember walking the few blocks from our house on Cascade, across G-way, and over to Pats house on Howell. We would then head down Newcomer to the Columbia River to skateboard, swim, and skip rocks. We should all feel lucky to have shared in his brief time with us.
I met Patrick at A&M and we worked together in the same lab for about 5 years. He was intelligent, hard-working, and had a great sense of humor. But, above all, he was one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. We’ll miss him greatly, and will keep his family in our thoughts and prayers.
I am so very sad to hear about Pat. He was very admired at HHS – even to the incoming freshmen. My heartfelt condolences to the whole family, especially Dan, that you find the strength to get through this time through the love of your family and friends.
Pat was a remarkable individual. I played soccer with him here in Missouri for the last 3 years. He played with great passion for the game. And win or lose was a joy to have on the team. My thoughts and prayers are with his family. We will miss him.
I remember Pat as the type of guy who was very outgoing and always made everyone feel valued and welcome. I offer my sincere condolences to Dan and the rest of the Colleran family.
I was fortunate to have known Patrick during my days at Texas A&M. He was a wonderful friend and colleague who had an unforgetable smile and personality. He will be greatly missed. God bless.
I did not know your Son but read his passing in the news paper. I’m so sorry for your loss Patrick will be missed by so many. May God Bless your family and may you find peace……..
I was sad to hear of Patrick’s passing. I grew up knowing Dan more than anyone else. My condolences and prayers are with your family at this difficult time. may God lift you up during this time of need.
I played soccer with Patrick at Hanford HS. I remember one year the Hanford boys team went unscored on for a number of games. I was the goalkeeper and I had nothing to do with it . . .Patrick as the reason . . .he was someone that I could always count on to be there to save me as he did numerous times over the years that we played. He will be missed.
I’m sending you my heartfelt sympathy for your loss. I’m so sad that I never got to meet Pat, but feel I will get to know him little by little through Dan and Erin. Please accept our love and condolences as you work through this very difficult time. With affection and sympathy, Sidni, Dick, Lily, Anton Sobolik Erin’s Aunt
What a great tribute to your son and brother. It’s remarkable how much he and Dan resemble each other! We’re very proud, grateful, honored, and appreciative for the joining of our families. May Patrick’s life, love, and legacy live on through our families and the generations to come.
Mrs. Colleran, my Mom was always quick to call, and fill me in on your conversations at JoAnn Fabrics about your son’s latest adventures and achievements. It doesn’t seem like 18 years have passed since we all graduated in 1987. I am glad to know Pat lived every moment to its fullest. Our thougts are with you and your family. Kym, Scott and Megan.
Patrick touched the lives of everyone he met and will always be remembered for his kindness. His sense of humor and joy of life reminded us all what really mattered each day. While he’ll be missed, he’ll be remembered fondly.
My condolences to the family. I worked with Patrick and can attest to his kind and generous demeanor. He was a great man and will sorely be missed.
I knew Patrick only briefly. When I talked with him, he reminded me so much of my son. The stories I have heard since his passing reinforce my impressions. I know you will miss him terribly and my heart goes out to you. With sincere sympathy, Cheryl Heesch
The Lewis Family has many fond memories of Pat and the Colleran family. We send our deepest sympathies and prayers. God Bless–
We will miss Patrick so much in our department. I still expect to see him walk across the street to our building. My deepest sympathy to his family.
Guestbook for
Patrick Nicholas Colleran