William A. "Bill" O'Hanlon

William Anton O'Hanlon, a Canandaigua native whose life was defined by his exuberant love of family, friends, and sport, died after complications from surgery. He was 56.
He is survived by his wife of 23 years, Jacalyn Elaine (Thomas) O'Hanlon and his two children, Daniel Patrick O'Hanlon, 21, and Allison Jean O'Hanlon, 18; by his mother, Frieda O'Hanlon, who served for two decades on the Canandaigua School Board; by his brother, Michael O'Hanlon (Cathryn Garland) of Bethesda, MD; and by his sisters Katherine O'Hanlon (Uc Gjonbalaj) of Canandaigua, and Ann O'Hanlon (John Harris) of Alexandria, VA; as well as by six nieces and two nephews. He is predeceased by his father, Edward O'Hanlon, a longtime Canandaigua physician. (He is also survived by Max, his beloved 10-year-old German Wirehaired Pointer.)
Bill was the baby brother among four siblings growing up on Gibson Street, but by the time he was an early teenager his athletic frame made him the largest in the family. From an early age, his physical power was balanced by a gentle, perceptive character that made him a natural leader among friends, on the lacrosse field, and in a successful career as a builder and business manager.
He was an Eagle Scout and a 1986 graduate of Canandaigua Academy. He went on to Cornell University, graduating in 1990. It was there, playing for Big Red, where his athletic prowess reached full bloom. Among many high points in his years at Ithaca, Bill was a star attack and midfield player on teams that reached the NCAA Division I lacrosse championships in 1987 and 1988, and was co-captain in 1990. He played indoor lacrosse professionally for the Buffalo Bandits during the team's inaugural season in 1992. He was inducted into the Canandaigua Academy Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002.
A return to Canandaigua was inevitable. From the start of his life to the end, Bill took delight in his life on the water and the wooded shores and hillsides of the most scenic of the Finger Lakes.
An already charmed life became even richer in the summer of 1998, when Bill met Jackie. Family and friends could tell right away that this would be a lifelong partnership. Together, they gave their children their own sense of purpose and possibilities. Dan, who inherited his father's fascination with things that move fast and how they work, is a junior studying mechanical engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY. Ally, who grew up near the water, rows crew and is in the first year of a physical therapy doctorate program at Nazareth College in Pittsford, NY.
Canandaigua was the base from which Bill launched a career that leaves tangible achievements around the region. At the time of his death, he was the CFO of Leonard's Express, a Farmington-based shipping firm whose operations span the country. Before that, he worked for LeCesse Construction (now Pike Residential) and was a project leader on numerous senior living facilities nationwide, including Ferris Hills in Canandaigua. He was involved with renovations to the former Canandaigua YMCA and the New York State Wine and Culinary Center, now known as New York Kitchen.
Even more than physical structures, Bill was a builder of relationships-the center of overlapping circles of friends from high school, college, and work. These friendships, a sacred connection for the person who in this context was often known as Billy O, spanned across decades of laughter and teasing, as well as mutual support during all of life's triumphs and challenges. Many of these friendships flowed from his love of sports, of hunting, and anything that took him out on the water, in the woods, or in open fields.
Autumn was for deer-hunting, with both rifles and bows. Summer was for the golf course, where at the top of his game Bill was a near-scratch player. This was also the season, above all, for being on the water. He loved his powerful Ski Nautique boat. He was captain for countless outings of water skiing and wakeboarding, or to take his children and adoring nieces and nephews out tubing.
Bill could give unparalleled tours of Canandaigua Lake. He knew the most interesting homes on the shore and their architectural details. He had his favorite coves, and he knew the best places for fishing or skiing. One of his favorite places was a simple hunting cabin surrounded by fields and dense woods that he co-owned with friends on a hillside above Seneca Point.
Many of the recurring themes of Bill's life began early. As a toddler, he played for hours with his toy "diggers," and no one was surprised when his adult career brought him into construction. He was also a natural craftsman, and once built his own wooden wakeboard. Also from a young age, he was someone who noticed people who could get overlooked or needed a hand. Although many things came easily to him in the classroom or the athletic field, he carried himself modestly and made easy friendships with people who struggled in one setting or another.
His community service included sitting on the board of the Canandaigua YMCA, and he was instrumental in the renovation and development of the Main Street location. He was a founding member and President of the Richard M. Morse Conservation Club, and helped preserve a large forest region on the west side of Canandaigua Lake.
Bill's last months were an ordeal for him and those who loved him. Abdominal surgery at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester shortly before Christmas led to multiple complications and additional surgeries. He never left the hospital, and it was there that he died surrounded by family.
Friends may call Wednesday, April 23, from 4-7 pm, at Johnson-Kennedy Funeral Home, Inc., 47 N. Main St., Canandaigua. His memorial mass will be celebrated Thursday, April 24, at 2 pm, at St. Mary's Church, 95 N. Main St., Canandaigua. Memorial contributions may be made to Finger Lakes Land Trust at https://www.fllt.org/give or Boy Scouts of America at https://donations.scouting.org/. Condolences may be offered at www.johnsonkennedy.com.