Lt. Col. Joseph A. Colleran, Jr., U.S.A.F., Ret.

Lt. Col. Joseph A. Colleran, Jr., U.S.A.F., Ret.

Warner Robins – Lt. Col. Joseph A. Colleran, Jr., U.S.A.F., Ret., 72, took his final flight on Thursday, September 2, 2004 at his residence after a long and noble struggle against lung cancer. Visitation will be Monday, September 6 from 7:00 P.M. until 9:00 P.M. at McCullough Funeral Home. A funeral mass will be celebrated by Fr. Fred Nijem at 10:00 A.M. on Tuesday, September 7, at Our Lady of the Skies Parish at Robins Air Force Base Chapel with interment in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia on Monday, October 25 at 9:00 A.M.

Colonel Colleran was born in Medford, Mass. on October 18, 1931 and, in 1953, graduated from Boston College where he received a B.S. degree in Economics and earned varsity recognition playing hockey . Upon graduation, he was commissioned into the U.S. Air Force and served his country honorably for 29 years. On October 6, 1956, Col. Colleran married Therese C. O'Connell of New York City, a graduate of the College of Our Lady of the Elms in Chicopee, Mass. Five weeks shy of celebrating their 48th wedding anniversary, the Colleran's have four married children and 7 grandchildren. Survivors include son, Joseph A. Colleran, III (Robin), New York City; daughter, Elizabeth C. Buzaid (John), Verona, NJ; son, Dr. William T. Colleran (Kathleen), Seattle, WA; son, Brian P. Colleran (Denise), Westfield, NJ; grandchildren, William W., Caitlin C., and Sean O. Buzaid, all of Verona, NJ; Emily D. Colleran, Seattle, WA; and Jack T., Katherine D., and Julia S. Colleran, all of Westfield, NJ.

Col. Colleran's Air Force career took him across the world with foreign assignments in Canada, Spain and 13 months in Vietnam. He was a command pilot who logged over 5, 500 flight hours in T-6's, T-33's, KC-97's and KC-135's. Colleran also commanded two "Combat Skyspot" radar sites in Vietnam during 1972 and 1973 and earned the Bronze Star and the Meritorious Service Medal amongst numerous others. Col. Colleran's final assignment was at Robins Air Force Base where he served as Deputy Base Commander.

For ten years after his retirement from the Air Force in 1982, Col. Colleran was a home builder and owner of Castlewood Homes. Colleran was a former president of the Retired Officers Association and a member of the Daedalions. He was preceded in death by his parents Joseph A. Colleran and Agnes Colleran (nee Lahiff) of Arlington, Mass. and his sister Elaine Raley.

Col. Colleran will be remembered most as a loving husband and father who was peerless in his grace and kindness.

The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Sacred Heart Building Fund, 250 South Davis Dr. Warner Robins, GA 31088 or Hospice of Houston County, 103 Westbridge Dr. Warner Robins, GA 31088.

Go to www.mcculloughfh.com to sign Online Registry for the family. McCullough Funeral Home has charge of arrangements.


Funeral Home:
McCullough Funeral Home
417 S. Houston Lake Rd.
Warner Robins, GA
US 31088