Rory Callahan, who had a 30-year career in wine marketing, died on Feb. 18 at Columbia Memorial Hospital in Hudson, N.Y., after a brief illness. He was 75.
“Rory was deeply loved by his family and many friends for his kindness, loyalty, generosity, and intelligence,” his family wrote. “He was a true supporter of all who knew him, and with them his memory lives on.”
Mr. Callahan earned a degree in philosophy from Fordham University and later studied enology and viticulture at the University of California, Davis. His marketing company represented wine regions from around the world, including New York, California, Spain, New Zealand, and South Africa, and he enjoyed his frequent travels to those regions.
He was born in Suffern, N.Y., on April 13, 1949, to John Callahan and the former Lavina Murray, who raised him in Amagansett and Brooklyn. His father was a foreign correspondent for The New York Times, and as a child his family spent a few years in Karachi, Pakistan. The family built a house in the dunes in Amagansett and has maintained a long connection to the area. His brother Michael Callahan of New York City has a house in Sag Harbor, and his brothers Gill, Brian, and Kevin went to school in Southampton and Amagansett.
Mr. Callahan married Carole Cleaver in June 1982, and they lived in New York City. Mr. Callahan was fond of the Hudson Valley and the couple moved there after his retirement, living in Germantown, Rhinebeck, and Claverack.
A lifelong learner with a particular interest in local history, he collected books on his wide variety of interests.
In addition to his brother, Mr. Callahan is survived by his wife “and best friend,” who lives in Claverack, by a daughter, Meagan Callahan, also of Claverack, and by a sister, Lynn Callahan of Hasbrouck Heights, N.J. His brothers Gill, Brian, and Kevin died before him.
His ashes will be buried at Leeds Episcopal Church in Markham, Va.
