Rory Callahan of Claverack, New York, and Formerly of Amagansett, Dies February 18 - 27 East
logo logo logo logo

Sag Harbor Express

Obituaries / Sag Harbor Express / 2345427

Rory Callahan of Claverack, New York, and Formerly of Amagansett, Dies February 18

icon 1 Photo
Rory Callahan

Rory Callahan

authorStaff Writer on Mar 13, 2025

Rory Callahan a resident of Claverack, New York, died at Columbia Memorial Hospital, Hudson, after a brief illness on February 18. He was 75.

He was born in Suffern, New York, and raised in Brooklyn and Amagansett. After building a home on the dunes in Amagansett, the family has maintained a long connection with Eastern Long Island. His brother Michael Callahan has a home in Sag Harbor, and his brothers Gill, Brian and Kevin went to school in Southampton and Amagansett.

As a child, he moved with his family for a few years to Karachi, Pakistan, where his father, John Callahan, was a foreign correspondent for The New York Times.

He graduated from Fordham University with a degree in Philosophy and later studied Enology and Viticulture at the University of California, Davis.

He worked for many decades in the wine industry. His marketing company represented wine regions from around the world, including New York, California, Spain, New Zealand, and South Africa, and he enjoyed traveling to these regions frequently.

He loved the Hudson Valley, where he moved after retirement, living in Germantown, Rhinebeck, and Claverack.

He was an avid lifelong learner, with a particular interest in local history, and a collector of books on his wide interests.

Rory was deeply loved by his family and many friends for his kindness, loyalty, generosity, and intelligence. He was a true supporter of all who knew him and with them, his memory lives on.

He is survived by his wife and best friend, Carole Cleaver; his daughter Meagan Callahan; and his siblings Michael Callahan and Lynn Callahan. He was predeceased by his brothers Gill, Brian and Kevin.

You May Also Like:

Sag Harbor Ragamuffin Parade Celebrates The Spooky Season

The Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce hosted the annual Sag Harbor Ragamuffin Parade on Sunday ... 27 Oct 2025 by Staff Writer

Check Row A

Voters have an important decision to make in local elections this year in the Town of Southampton. As the co-chair of the Suffolk County Working Families Party, I am proud to have several excellent candidates on our ballot line, including Sara Topping and Jimmy Mack for Town Trustee. However, two of our endorsed candidates, Mark A. Bernardo, who is running for town clerk, and Tom Neely, who is running for Town Council, are not on our ballot line. That’s because a group of individuals petitioned themselves onto the ballot, forced a primary and, unfortunately, won the primary. None of them ... by Staff Writer

VIEWPOINT: Carbon Prayer

By Ella Gatfield Under exceptionally good viewing conditions, if a person has 20/20 vision, they can see the Triangulum Galaxy. At around 3 million light-years away, it is thought to be one of the farthest objects visible from Earth by the human eye. If I look to the horizon from land or water, with an unobstructed view, I can see only a few miles into the distance. Bound by this irregularly shaped ellipsoid, everything past the horizon line curves out of view. Wishful, I look to the night sky, then I sigh — releasing atoms of carbon into the world. ... by Ella Gatfield

Bonnie Michelle Cannon Headlines Knowledge Friday at The Church

The next Knowledge Friday, on November 7, at The Church in Sag Harbor will feature Bonnie Michelle Cannon, executive director for the Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreational Center. The event starts at 6 p.m., and admission is $10 for nonmembers. Cannon has dedicated her life to ensuring the benefit and well-being of others for the past 20 years. Creating safe play spaces to more formal child care, expanding educational opportunities, and being a bridge for cultural unity, Cannon has lived a life of service and has become an inspiration for many on the East End. The Bridgehampton Child Care & ... by Staff Writer

Spanish Lessons Offered at Masonic Lodge

Starting November 5, Spanish lessons return to the Masonic Temple in Sag Harbor every Wednesday at 7 p.m. Certified teacher Matthew Tooman teaches conversational Spanish. The Masonic Temple is located above the Sag Harbor Whaling Museum. For more information, visit masonicmusicseries.com. by Staff Writer

Total Competence

Professional. Competent. Cross-endorsed. Bipartisan. Spectacular. Knowledgeable. Outstanding. Efficient. Integrity. Thoughtful. Throughout this election cycle, these words have been expressed by many Southampton Town voters describing Sundy Schermeyer, current Southampton Town clerk. We completely agree. As lifelong registered Democrats and former longtime Southampton Town Democratic Committee members, honorably representing our home election district, we strongly support Sundy Schermeyer to be reelected as Southampton Town clerk. She has held this position, showing true professionalism, outstanding knowledge and total competence. For many years, the Southampton Town Democratic Party cross-endorsed Sundy, without any hesitation, and so, we say, without any hesitation, Sundy has and ... by Staff Writer

The Art of Being Free

We are in the midst of a very important election in our communities, and I want to encourage you to take advantage of your responsibility as a citizen and vote in this election, and future ones. This newspaper, which we are fortunate to have to support our democracy, sponsored a debate among three candidates for Southampton Town Council running for the major parties [“VIDEO: Express News Group Hosts Virtual Southampton Town Debate,” 27east.com, October 16]. They are two incumbents: Rick Martel and Cynthia McNamara, both on both the Republican and Conservative tickets; and Tom Neely, on the Democratic ticket. I ... by Staff Writer

Vote Neely

With growing national and local attention to noise and physical pollution produced by gas-powered leaf and grass blowers, I watched the debate between the three Southampton Town Council candidates [“VIDEO: Express News Group Hosts Virtual Southampton Town Debate,” 27east.com, October 16]. Only Tom Neely seemed at all interested in this important quality-of-life issue. The other two felt there was no use, even in continuing with Southampton’s existing restrictive laws. Tom Neely gets my vote. Mike and Claire Piliero Hampton Bays by Staff Writer

What If?

What if we had a public/private partnership in the development of the new Stony Brook Southampton Hospital proposed for completion in 2030? There has been discussion and planning for the development of a new “state-of-the-art” hospital on the campus of Stony Brook Southampton for several years. Recent statements are proposing that it will be completed by 2030. What if, rather than a state-of-the-art hospital, the Hamptons had a world-class medical and trauma center? The Hamptons has long been an attraction for people from all over the world. We are being given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do something truly extraordinary. A ... by Staff Writer

We Need Tom

The primary issues for Southampton Town are traffic and the lack of affordable housing, and they are, of course, related. We have an opportunity to address both issues by electing Tom Neely to the Town Council. Tom’s local traffic control expertise and experience is unmatched. For more than 25 years, he worked at Hampton Jitney, the transportation company, growing it from a small business into the large company it is today. During that time, he was the president of the Southampton Chamber of Commerce, reflecting his connection to the concerns of the business community generally. Since 2005, he has served ... by Staff Writer