Remembering our dear friend, George Handran

It is with a heavy heart that we share the news of our greatest friend and supporter, George Handran. George was a dear friend of our founder, Dr. Ralph Aquila, and also one of our fiercest and kindest advocates, as he was the visionary philanthropist who was responsible for our generous funding opportunity through the Sidney R. Baer, Jr. Foundation. George passed away on Saturday, December 4th, at the age of 76. We will miss him dearly.

Below is a piece that Dr. Aquila wrote for his friend:

George Handran often referred to himself as a visionary philanthropist. As a trustee of the Sidney R. Baer Jr. Foundation he gave away more money than any foundation has given to the cause of mental illness. More importantly, was the visionary piece. Through his work with Sidney Baer, a man with serious mental illness who quadrupled the family wealth, he learned how serious mental illness need not prevent you from being a success in life. George saw through Sidney, that no one because of their mental illness couldn’t be successful. He funded scholarships for persons with schizophrenia and Bipolar disorder. He funded state of the art brain research. But most importantly, he had a collegial relationship with so many with serious mental illness and encouraged them to continue with their goals. George was a true believer and a loyal friend.

His passion was similar to the arts, in particular supporting young opera singers and following their careers through thick and thin. And if all that wasn’t enough, he had a tremendous interest in genealogy especially about his native Glouchester. 

To read more about George, you can CLICK HERE for his obituary, and HERE to read the tribute from another organization that was close to his heart, Fountain House.