Barry Nolan Obituary

Barry Nolan died peacefully surrounded by his loving family on Thursday, July 16, 2009 at Pikes Peak Hospice after a courageous 15-year battle with cancer. He is survived by his loving wife, Catharine McDermott Nolan; by three beloved children: Tracy Lynch Nolan and husband Ian of Arvada; Craig Arthur Nolan of Denver; and Kelsey Catharine Nolan of Colorado Springs; his mother, Marion Nolan Slater, of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and a sister, Sheila Nolan Fuller and husband Bob, of Greenwich, Connecticut. He was predeceased in 1966 by his father and in 1998 by his brother, Terry Nolan. Born on September 15, 1942 to Arthur James and Marion Hance Nolan in Easton, Pennsylvania, he graduated cum laude in 1960 from Mt. Hermon School, where he was President of the student body, and in 1964 from Princeton University, where he earned a BA in economics. In 1966 he received an MBA in marketing from Columbia Business School. After three years as a media buyer and account executive with the New York City advertising firm of Papert Koenig Lois, he joined the Vogue/Butterick Fashion Marketing Group and was assigned to serve as President of a recent acquisition in Seattle. There, Barry married his first wife, Janet Marie Lynch in 1971. Later, he joined Current, Inc., where he served as Marketing Vice President in Colorado Springs. Only a year after Tracy's birth in February 1975, Janet was diagnosed with breast cancer. She and Tracy lived with Janet's family in Seattle while Barry commuted between there and Colorado Springs until Janet's death in March 1981. He then returned with Tracy to Colorado Springs, where he became Current's President. Barry married Cathy McDermott Green in February 1983. Their son Craig was born in August 1984 and daughter Kelsey arrived in October 1986. They enjoyed 26 years of devoted marriage together. Under Barry's leadership as President and CEO, Current prospered, becoming the nation's largest privately-owned greeting card company. After the company was sold, Barry and his family moved to Hillsborough, California. Two years later, they moved back to Colorado with Barry as the owner/manager of the U.S. Golf Association's catalog business for the next two years. Diagnosed in 1994 with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, Barry underwent remedial surgery at Johns Hopkins and continued to battle the disease with inspiring determination. Barry's endless energy was evident in everything he did. Not only was it felt by his family and friends but also drove his lifelong passion for golf. As a result, he produced “SWAIL,� a ground-breaking golf instructional DVD which has attracted favorable attention among golf professionals and writers (see www.swail.com). Barry also devoted time to a number of charitable organizations including the National Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Colorado Springs Symphony, Colorado Springs School and especially the Penrose St. Francis Health Foundation, where he served as president and which awarded him the Sister Myra James Bradley Award. He enjoyed various club memberships, particularly the Broadmoor Golf Club and Cheyenne Mountain Country Club in Colorado Springs. In his final months Barry focused on “finishing strong.� While mourning his loss, his family and many friends will remember with pride his deep love of others, the courageous example he set, and the life-affirming values he cherished. A celebration of Barry's life will be held Wednesday, July 22, at 3:00 PM at the Broadmoor Community Church, with Rev. Jim Chapman officiating. Rather than sending flowers, the family recommends that donations be sent in Barry's memory to Pikes Peak Hospice and/or the Penrose St. Francis Health Foundation.