James Irby HARAN

James Haran - Teacher 12.14.04 - James Haran, 83, passed away peacefully Dec. 10, 2004, at his home in Sonoma. Jim was born Oct. 24, 1921, the son of Gregory and Leila Koverman Haran. He grew up in San Francisco, attending St. Cecilia Grammar School and graduating St. Ignatius High School in 1940. Jim began long-distance running while attending San Francisco State College and, among many other victories, won San Francisco's renowned Bay to Breakers race in 1942. Later that year, Jim joined the Merchant Marine Academy and later the U.S. Navy during World War II. Jim earned his undergraduate degree in English at San Francisco State College in 1948, the same year he married Maura McCarthy, with whom he had eight children. While studying for his master's degree at Stanford University, Jim discovered his everlasting love of theater and his gifts for acting and teaching. After holding positions at St. Patrick's Seminary in Menlo Park, Holy Names College in Oakland and the University of San Francisco, he found his home in the drama department at San Francisco City College, where he spent the remaining 25 years of his teaching career, creating lifelong friendships with his colleagues and earning deep respect from his students. In addition to his work at the college, Jim also directed community theater groups in San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo counties in countless productions of diverse genres from Shakespeare to musical comedy. He was a natural actor himself and, after retiring from City College in 1985, performed in front of audiences at the Hillbarn Theatre in San Mateo, Canada College and Marin Shakespeare. Some of his most beloved characters included Gloucester in "King Lear," the father in "The Heiress" and the father in "Arms and the Man." In 1974, Jim married his life's love, Loyce Hankins MacDonald, and, together with their children, they made their home in Belmont before moving to Sonoma in 1995. Jim loved his family above all else and enjoyed nothing more than spending summers on the Russian River surrounded by children and grandchildren in the redwood cabin he built himself in the hills above Guerneville. To his great delight, Jim's first great-grandchild, Jack Gabriel Haran, was born to his grandson Jeff Haran and Sunny Lange Dec. 6, just four days before his death. Jim is survived by his wife, Loyce Haran, of Sonoma; and children Terry Haran and daughter-in-law Susan Haran, of Boulder, Colo., and their children Jeff and Alex; Mary Cleere Haran, of Brooklyn, N.Y., and son Jacob Gilford; Bronwyn Harris and son-in-law Douglas Harris, of Evans, Wash.; son-in-law Simon Abeid, of Rice, Wash., and children Mellad, Caitlin and Claire; Brigid Haran, of Petaluma; Tim Haran, of San Francisco, and daughter Angela; Ned Haran, of Guerneville; Eithne Bullick and son-in-law Brian Bullick, of Sonoma, and children Teal and James Junco; DeAnn Matthews and son-in-law John Matthews, of Oakley, and daughter Heather; Mark MacDonald and daughter-in-law Nicolette MacDonald, of Santa Margarita, and son Seth; Tom MacDonald and daughter-in-law Donna MacDonald, of Chicago, and children Saffron and Haskell; brother, Greg Haran, of Napa; brother Jack Haran, of Camarillo; and sister Barbara Tardieu, Jack Tardieu, of Grants Pass, Ore.; and great-grandson Jack Gabriel Haran, of Lagunitas, and numerous nieces, nephews and in-laws. Jim was preceded in death by his daughter, Deirdre Abeid, earlier this year. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jim's memory to Woodland Star Educational Foundation, P.O. Box 53, Sonoma, CA 95476. A memorial Mass for Jim will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 16, at St. Francis Solano Church in Sonoma. St. Francis is located at the corner of West Napa and West Third Streets in Sonoma. A reception will follow the Mass at the Haran home, 802 Towne St., Sonoma. Arrangements by Neptune Society of Northern California, Santa Rosa.

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