RSS 2.0 FeedThursday, December 15, 2011, Merrick Life
Merrick says goodbye to Bill Halleran
Pearl Harbor survivor dies.
The school flags flew at half-staff on Monday, the day the community said goodbye to a hero. A man who will not be forgotten by his family, his friends and by the history books.
Irving William “Bill” Halleran died Friday, December 9 after complications of a stroke. He was 93. He was a Pearl Harbor survivor, and a Yeoman aboard the USS Phoenix. Bill not only embodied what we all envision as a war hero but a true gentleman, loving husband and father and grandfather. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Rosemarie, sons William, Frank and Scott and numerous grand- and great- grandchildren.
Bill Halleran was profiled many times in Merrick Life newspaper. The paper was lucky to call him a friend, and I am personally blessed to have known him. I always appreciated running into Mr. Halleran while I was covering an event for his beloved American Legion Post 1282, seeing him at the Memorial Day Parade or up at Camp Avenue School picking up one of his grandkids at the end of the day.
Bill loved to discuss the current issue of the paper with me, give his opinion on local events and suggest ideas for future stories.
I remember getting a call one day from Bill telling me that what he believed to be one of the original schoolhouses in Merrick was going to be torn down to make way for new construction. Go out and get a picture of it, he suggested to me – before its gone.
He loved the history of this town, and would talk for hours about what the Merricks were like when he moved here in 1949. Talking with Bill, you would think he lived here all his life, he had so much pride and affection for this community. He showed that by giving over 60 years of service to the North Merrick Fire Department.
He was someone whose ability to tell stories and recant moments of his eventful life captured the attention of all those around him. He may have passed this trait on to his granddaughter Emily, a sixth-grader at Camp Avenue school. She interviewed him last year as part of the Superintendent’s Challenge given to the district. Her final project is one that remains a lasting memory for her classmates and for Superintendent David Feller, who recalled (in an e-mail to the community) the privilege of meeting a true genuine hero – a member of the “greatest generation.”
My son came home from Merrick Avenue Middle School on Pearl Harbor Day and asked “guess who I learned about today – Bill Halleran.” He was proud to tell the teacher that Bill was a friend of our family. Mr. Halleran had spoken (at the school) a few years back at the request of his grandson Scott, and made an impact on the students as well as a lasting memory for the teachers. At the wake Saturday, I was told Bill was nervous about that particular “speaking engagement,” knowing that middle school kids are very savvy; he hoped he could keep their interest.
Bill arrived to his funeral as he did to many scenes around town in days gone by: on a fire truck. His arrival was marked with the sound of bagpipes as the firefighters assumed the role of pallbearers and carried his flag-draped casket into his long-time parish. The funeral mass was presided over by Pastor Ann Morgan of the Merrick United Methodist Church. His granddaughter Elizabeth read a beautiful poem and a passage of scripture. Grandson Richard (a fireman from Cedar Rapids, Iowa) gave a eulogy filled with memories and inspiration that led him to choose his occupation.
The church was full of friends and family given the opportunity to tell a story about Bill. He (and Rosemary) were surrogate grandparents for many extended family members who did not have a grandparent. Neighbors like Lucy Murphy spoke of how having friends such as the Hallerans was such an important part of their life. Neighbor George Closs had the congregation trying not to laugh when recalling a time when Bill fell off a ladder, into a bush with the ladder ending on top of him. “Don’t tell Rosemary,” Bill asked his neighbor, as he was helped up, knowing he was most likely doing something he wasn’t supposed to be.
In recent years, Bill was the subject of many articles, especially near the anniversary of December 7, 1941. It was noted in local news coverage last week his absence from the 70th anniversary Pearl Harbor events. He was instrumental in making sure events on Long Island even happened by initiating gatherings, organizing and leading a group of survivors whose numbers he saw dwindle each year.
Fellow Pearl Harbor survivor Gerard Barbieri of East Meadow spoke during the Mass in a manner suggesting that Bill was reunited with his brothers and shipmates in the heavens.
Bill spent six-and-half years in the Navy before coming back home to Floral Park where he met a younger, fellow graduate of Sewanhaka High School – Rosemary. They married, had three sons and eventually settled in Merrick on Valentine’s Day 1949, following the advice of Bill’s cousin, a custom home builder. After having served his country and starting a family, Bill (and Rosemarie) put down strong roots here and began what would be a long, happy service-filled life in this community he called home for 62 years. He will be missed.
