BRIAN HEANEY
November 3, 1948 - August 20, 2024
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Christ has set us free in freedom, stand fast therefore, and be not held again in a yoke of bondage.
Galatians 5:1
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"Death, be not proud" (Holy Sonnet 10)
John Donne 1572 –1631
Death, be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for thou are not so;
For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow
Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,
Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee do go,
Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery.
Thou'art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,
And poppy'or charms can make us sleep as well
And better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then?
One short sleep past, we wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.
Brian McNees Heaney, beloved son, husband, brother and father died on August 20th, 2024, at his home in Dayton, Ohio. He was 75. Married to Abbie Heaney for thirty-one years, he raised his three sons, lived, and worked in the Greater Dayton area until his passing.
Born in London, England, the son of Norman and Marianna Heaney, Brian had an auspicious start despite arriving eleven weeks early, weighing barely 3 pounds. Then-Princess Elizabeth, pregnant with the future King Charles, shared a doctor with Marianna and ordered baby Brian into the first incubator in Great Britain. The American baby survived to great fanfare in London and in the hearts of his grandparents back home. The Heaneys eventually settled in Rye, NY, where Brian grew up in the turbulent 1960s and 70s.
Looking back, one can say that Brian’s life was marked by an enduring love for God, a gentleness toward others, and a facility with language, all of which fueled both his career and his calling.
Graduating from Phillips Exeter Academy in 1966, Brian went on to obtain a bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature/Letters from Yale University in 1970. He obtained his master’s degree in Renaissance English Literature from The Ohio State University in 1983 and completed work on a PhD in figures of speech. A professor of English for thirty-one years at Clark State College, he retired from teaching in 2019. He also taught at The Ohio State University and Wittenberg University, sharing his love of literature and writing with countless undergraduates.
But Brian found his true calling when he was introduced to Biblical studies in 1970 and ordained to the Christian ministry in 1974. For the next fifty years, he engaged in Biblical research to understand and communicate the scriptures to the best of his ability. He met people where they were and responded to situations in a careful and thoughtful way. A true contemplative, he had a special language for life and a way of communicating peace. One simply felt better after being around him.
Brian was known to drop Shakespearian sonnets, 16th century poetry, dialogue from Russian novels, or American tales and movies into conversations, tying them all together with unexpected humor and insight. But, most of all, he will be remembered for his respect for the scriptures and the things of God.
Not without his hobbies, the man deeply loved fishing, being on the ocean, traveling anywhere and doing anything with Abbie, playing tennis and the guitar, fine food and wine, the art of grilling, craft beer, and cigars. He entertained himself and all nearby with sophisticated wordplay and storytelling. Let it be noted, he always dressed for the occasion.
Brian is survived by his beloved wife, Abbie Heaney, son Sean Heaney and partner Danielle Knight, son Colin and wife Danielle Heaney, son Alex Heaney and partner Emma Collins, sister Alison and husband Hugh Freeland, grandchildren Erin and Fiona Heaney, niece Jessica McSurdy (Kevin), nephew Corey Freeland, and grand-nephew Kole. His former wife, Patrice Christie, mother of Sean and Colin, lives with her family in the Dayton area.
The family asks that you support promising writers by donating to the Clark State Community College Brian Heaney Memorial Scholarship Fund https://slate.clarkstate.edu/register/brianheaney