HYANNIS, MA — Jesuit Father William J. O’Halloran, 80, a member of the Jesuit community at the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, died Feb. 26 at Cape Cod Hospital. At the time of his death, he was special assistant to the college president, a position that he held since 1998.
The son of the late Frank T. and Dorothy M. (Keegan) O’Halloran, he was born in Springfield, Mass., and graduated from La Salle Academy, Providence. He entered the Society of Jesus on Sept. 7, 1945 at Shadowbrook in Lenox, MA, and studied ascetical theology and classics. In 1949, he began his philosophical studies at Weston College, Weston, MA, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1951 and a master’s degree in 1952. He then was assigned to teach Latin, English and religion from 1952 to 1954 at Boston College High School, Dorchester, MA., and subsequently pursued graduate studies in psychology at Fordham University in New York City.
Father O’Halloran studied for the priesthood in Belgium and France and was ordained to the priesthood on July 30, 1958 in the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Senlis, France.
He was appointed to serve as the first chairman of the psychology department at Holy Cross in 1964 and held various senior administrative positions at the college for more than 25 years. From January 1976 to June 1981 he served as president of LeMoyne College, Syracuse, NY, before returning to Holy Cross to serve as director of corporate and foundation relations. Father O’Halloran was appointed vice president of the college in 1984 and later served as special assistant to the college president.
He was the brother of the late Fr. Thomas O’Halloran. He is survived by nieces and nephews.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated March 4 in St. Joseph Chapel on the Holy Cross campus. Burial was in the college cemetery.
