FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Sen. Howard Charles Nolan Jr., 90, was born into eternal life on Saturday, June 17, 2023, with his loving wife, Shannon, by his side.
Born in Albany, he was the son of the late Howard C. Nolan Sr. and Helen (Burke) Nolan. Howard was married to his loving wife Shannon for 35 years.
He was the loving father of Anne Davies, Kathy Nolan, Debbie Murray (Jim), Robert Nolan (Suzanne), Donna Nolan, Lynn Hyde and Karen Cummings (Rob); cherished grandfather of Anthony Battaglia, Kara Battaglia and Nicole Battaglia, Joseph Nolan (Xanthi), Kevin Nolan and Kelly Nolan, Paige Hyde and Ashley Hyde, and Nolan Cummings and Lauryn Cummings; great-grandfather of Anna Nolan; brother of Marybeth Collins (Michael); son-in-law of Ruth McAuley Logan; and brother-in-law of Shasta Logan Brander (Tom), Mary Logan, and Marcia Logan Goodgame (Dan). Many nieces and nephews also survive him.
Howard was predeceased by his beloved granddaughter, Christine Davies; and former wife, Geraldine Nolan.
As a lifelong resident of Albany, Howard co-founded the law firm Nolan & Heller, LLP more than 50 years ago.
He was elected to the State Senate in 1974 and served the 42nd District in Albany County for 20 years. He had served on various boards, including as president of the New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc., on the Board of Trustees for St. Peter’s Hospital, and on the Board of Directors for the State of New York Mortgage Agency, the Community Foundation for the Capital Region and WMHT.
He had also served as chairman of the Cerebral Palsy Center for the Disabled Foundation Board, the Knights of Columbus, The Ancient Order of the Hibernians, the Albany Chamber of Commerce, and Breeders’ Cup Ltd. Howard graduated from Christian Brothers Academy in 1950, The College of the Holy Cross in 1954 and Albany Law School of Union University in 1957.
Howard was a proud member of the U.S. Marine Corps and could often be heard telling stories of his time in Camp Lejeune and Quantico, Va. He was an avid sports fan having had season tickets to the New England Patriots and the New York Jets for years. As a Notre Dame fanatic, he enthusiastically watched all of their football games.
In addition, playing tennis and golf at Schuyler Meadows C.C. and Wolferts Roost C.C. in Albany and Coral Ridge C.C. in Fort Lauderdale gave him great pleasure, as they fueled his competitive nature and his love to socialize with his friends and family.
Thoroughbred horse racing and breeding was another one of his passions as he participated under the name, Blue Sky Farm, through several farms that he operated over the course of his lifetime. He especially loved Saratoga Race Course where he could be found sitting in his box every day during the meet. His recollection of pedigrees was nothing short of amazing as he could rattle off the stats of champions from fifty years ago. Howard’s inspiration, along with the cooperation of the N.Y.S. Department of Corrections prompted the creation of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation in Wallkill, N.Y. which provides opportunities for incarcerated men and women to help care for retired racehorses giving both a chance to change the course of their lives.
The Nolans were always on the go, traveling to France, Italy and Argentina quite often to collect art, sip wine, and visit museums and flea markets. He was an avid reader who consistently would read seven newspapers a day as well as countless historical novels. It was common knowledge that he considered New York City as the greatest city in the world even though some of his French friends would respectfully disagree, loyal of course, to their beloved Paris. A foodie, he would faithfully read the New York Times on Fridays looking for new restaurants which had only been open a month and took great delight in discovering unknown gems. He was an eternal optimist who always had a smile on his face and a kind word to say.
He loved attending his grandchildren’s sporting events and having his family visit him in Florida where he always had a fun event planned like deep sea fishing or taking a water taxi on the Intracoastal Waterway. He loved entertaining his grandkids by taking them on trips to the zoo, aquarium and amusement parks or just playing with them in the pool.
He was the best father and grandfather, and we are truly blessed to have him for as long as we did.
The family would like to extend a special thanks to Howard’s caring aide Donovan Bebasee.
Relatives and friends are invited to visit with Sen. Nolan’s family on Sunday, June 25, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the McVeigh Funeral Home, 208 North Allen St., Albany. Please enter the funeral home from the rear parking lot entrance only. Funeral services on Monday, June 26, at 10:30 a.m. in St. Pius X Church, Loudonville, where his funeral Mass will be celebrated. The Mass may be viewed at https://www.stpiusxloudonville.org/new-live-videos. The Rite of Committal will be held at a later date in the Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery with military honors.
Those wishing to remember Howard and his family in a special way, in lieu of flowers, may send a contribution in Howard’s name to either The Center for the Disability Services, 314 S. Manning Blvd., Albany, NY, 12208 or The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Northeast, P.O. Box 22324, New York, NY, 10087.
To leave a message for the family, please visit www.McveighFuneralHome.com.
