John Allan "Abe" Collamore

John Allan “Abe” Collamore chose to go out with an Irish goodbye, peacefully on Saturday January 21, 2023 at Daybrook Center for Senior Living.  After losing his beautiful Marge last March, his wife of almost sixty-four faith filled, loving years, we are grateful for the bit of extra time God allowed us to have with him.  Born in Holyoke on February 4^th, 1933 to Leonard and Catherine (Farrell) Collamore, Abe attended Sacred Heart and St. Jerome Catholic schools as a proud citizen of the Churchill section of Holyoke.  He was encouraged to transfer to Holyoke High to play more competitive basketball, winning the Lahovich Award in ’51 and graduating in ’52.  He attended NYU for one year, playing basketball for his lifelong friend, Jinx O’Connor, with whom he coached basketball and baseball for many years after college.   While at NYU, he missed his sweetheart, Margie, too much.  This led him to a place on a Hilltop of NH (a bit closer) and Abe finished his college basketball career, scoring more than 1000 points, at his cherished St. Anselm. There he played under the tutelage of another dear Holyoke friend, Al Grenert.   Abe was inducted into the St. Anselm Athletic Hall of Fame in 1986.  He was also chosen as a Legend for the first class of the Holyoke High School Hall of Fame in 2018. 

Abe began his teaching career in the history department at Holyoke High, but when a drivers ed teacher was needed, Abe took over the job and taught a few generations of Holyokers how to drive.   He received his Master’s Degree from Westfield State and later became a Vice Principal, working many years at Peck Jr. High and retired while an administrator at Lynch Jr. High.

Most of Abe’s spare time was spent coming up with his wonderful jokes and puns, but he also loved to read, do puzzles, play cards and golf with friends and family.  Besides coaching both Holyoke High and Holyoke Catholic basketball teams, he was instrumental in starting the Summer Basketball League at McKenzie and along with his wife, donated a lot of his time to the Holyoke Boys Club to pay forward what he had received as a kid.  He served on the Sacred Heart Parish Council for many years and also as the Lay Director of the Cursillo Movement.  Abe was especially proud to be in the first group of Lay Eucharistic Ministers of the Springfield Diocese in the early 70s and took great joy in being able to administer Holy Communion to so many through the years. 

 He married his love of 70 years, Margaret “Margie” Bresnahan on April 19, 1958 and the two went on to have six children. He is survived by all, Jack (Maureen), Eileen (Mike) Trznadel, Tim, Kit, Meg (Ron), and Mary Frances (Todd); his grandchildren, Andrew (Kristin), Steven, Christine (Nate), Katie, David, Brendan, David, Megan (Sean), Glenn, Jack, Ryan, Brighid, Julia, Luke and Lily; and his great grandchildren, Gwen, Emily, Ava, Peter, Elliot, Elena, Daniel, and Cora.  Abe is also survived by two loving siblings, William “Ronnie” Collamore and Gail Flanagan, a brother-in-law, Barry McPhee and three sisters-in-law, Liliane Bresnahan, Rosemary Collamore and Barbara Collamore.  Abe also leaves several valued first cousins, nieces and nephews and a gem of a friend for over 50 years, Jim Ripa.  Besides his parents and parents-in-law, he was predeceased by four treasured siblings, Leonard, James, Nancy, and Catherine; his prized brothers and sister-in-law, Bernie and Mary Lavelle, Father John J. Bresnahan, George Bresnahan, three nephews, Jerry Bresnahan, David Collamore and Donald Collamore and a son-in-law, Joseph Albano.  His heart broke a little every time he heard about his dearest Holyoke, St. Anselm, Cursillo and educator friends who went to the Lord before him. 

The family would like to thank all of the medical professionals who cared for Abe over the last few years at Holyoke Hospital and Daybrook.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 am, Saturday, February 4^th, at St. Jerome Church, 169 Hampden Street, Holyoke, on what would have been Abe’s 90^th birthday. Per Abe’s wishes, he did not want a wake.  He will be buried immediately following Mass at St. Jerome Cemetery.  At 1pm, the family will gather to celebrate Abe’s birthday and all are welcome.  In lieu of flowers, we ask that you consider making a donation in Abe’s name to the Holyoke Boys & Girls Club, St. Anselm College Education Program or Athletics @ www.anselm.edu or the Cursillo Movement of Western MA.

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