The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi

John "Tommy" Holleran, a member of the team that launched the Signal School at Fort Gordon, died Jan. 19 at University Hospital. A native of Brooklyn, NY, he held a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration and Masters Degree in Business Management both from Augusta College and a Masters Degree in Educational Administration from the University of Georgia. Holleran retired from the Army reserves after more than 23 years of active and reserve service. During that time he was a member of the advanced party from Fort Monmouth, NJ, which activated the Signal School at Fort Gordon in October 1948. As a civilian he served in the training area of the Signal School. For 10 years he was a project coordinator for construction of all the permanent academic facilities at the Signal Center and as Project Coordinator for the transfer of the Signal School from Fort Monmouth to Fort Gordon. In December 1979 he was assigned to the position of Deputy Director of Training and retired in April 1988.

Holleran was a past member and president of the Board of Education for all Catholic Schools in the Southern half of the State of Georgia, member and past president of the Forest Hills Golf Association, past president and regional board member of the Augusta Chapter of the American Society for Training and Development, and past chairman of his Holy Trinity Church council and of the Advisory Council of Catholic Churches in the Augusta area. Holleran held membership in the National Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi and Professional Educational Societies of Phi Delta Kappa and Kappa Delta Pi. He was also a member of the Armed Forces Communications- Electronics Association (AFCEA), the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) and member of the Knight of Columbus Patrick Walsh Council and 4th Degree member of Assembly 174 and also a member of the Irish American Heritage Society. Holleran also served for many years on the Advisory Board to the State of Georgia for Electronics Training at the Augusta Area Technical School. He was a member of the Church of the Most Holy Trinity. In recognition of his lifelong service to the Roman Catholic Church, on December 3, 2000 he was awarded the Holy Cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice, the highest medal that can be awarded to the laity by the Papacy. He was devoted to his family, friends and his church. He loved traveling, Golf and was a loyal Georgia Bulldogs supporter.