William "Billy" Donald Coolahan

William Donald Coolahan (Billy), age 66, passed away on March 11, 2024. He was a beloved artist, athlete, storyteller, traveler, and gardener. Billy’s athletic accomplishments as a competitive Olympic length triathlete included running the Dublin Marathon, summiting Mount Rainier, climbing the Grand Tetons, racing sled dogs in the Iditarod in Alaska, and swimming Alcatraz and the Chesapeake Bay bridge. His hometown artwork was beloved in Baltimore, Delaware, and beyond for depicting local sites of cultural significance and nature scenes. Many of these pieces became greeting and holiday cards shared among loved ones during important life events and highlighted the seasonality of life, which he loved to celebrate. He was always enthusiastic about telling stories and passing down generational wisdom, as well as curating unique and magical experiences full of beauty and joy for his family, his many friends, and especially for the children in his life.

 

Due to the overwhelming outpouring of love for Billy, the family has had to modify the celebration of life to a private event.We would like to thank everyone for the outpouring of sympathy, thoughts, and prayers at this difficult time. Billy Coolahan has touched the lives of so many people. A separate gathering has been planned by his friends to celebrate him on Saturday April 6, 2024 at 11 am. Please join us at Guinness Open Gate Brewery, 5001 Washington Blvd. Halethorpe, MD 21227. If you have any photos you would like to be shared in the slideshow, please email them to rememberingbillycoolahan@gmail.com

In lieu of flowers, please send donations made in his name to NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness).