The College mourns passing of alumnus Brian McShane ’74, who served on the Foundation Board of Directors for 10+ years

It is with great sadness that we share news of the death of Brian McShane ’74 (English), a former New Paltz Foundation Board Director and longtime friend of the College. He passed away on July 13, 2021, at the age of 70.

Brian served on the Foundation Board for more than a decade at SUNY New Paltz, during which time he and his brothers, Dennis McShane ’77 (Russian Studies) and Timothy McShane ’84 (Business), co-founded and funded the Helen A. and James T. McShane Memorial Scholarship Fund in honor of their parents to help New Paltz students study abroad in Ireland.

For nearly two decades, Brian also facilitated support from the Katzenberger Foundation which provided more than $100,000 in gifts for the College’s Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), with a total of 93 students receiving support.

Brian was known for his charismatic personality, generosity and kindness. He worked at Advertising Checking Bureau (ACB), a privately held company headquartered in New York City, for more than 40 years and rose through the ranks in sales and marketing to become president and owner in 1996. The company currently has several hundred employees and offices in New York City, Tempe, Arizona, and Memphis, Tennessee.

Brian grew up in Massapequa, New York, and raised his family in Rockville Centre, New York.

He is survived by his wife of more than 40 years, Eileen; three children: Caitlin (Peter Rizzo); David (Dawn), and Travis (Lindsay); and five grandchildren: Owen, Sumner, Sienna, Emma, and Conor.

The family of Brian McShane welcomes contributions in his memory to the Helen A. and James T. McShane Memorial Scholarship Fund (or simply, McShane Memorial Scholarship). Gifts may be made online or by check made out to the SUNY New Paltz Foundation. For questions, please contact Vice President of Development & Alumni Relations Erica Marks, email markse@newpaltz.edu or phone 845-257-3238.