Ran Glennon

Long time New England climber, Harrison 'Ran' Glennon of Yarmouth, ME passed away on Sept. 27, from an aggressive brain cancer that only first manifested itself in mid-July. Ran, a former Airborne Long Range Reconnaissance trooper who served in Vietnam, was inevitably the strongest of our group, well-known for his drive and stamina ( we all learned to 'dread' him saying " I'm feeling mellow, anyone want to go on an easy hike ( or bike ride, ski, climb...?" ). One of his favorite activities was to 'take a swim' in the frigid Atlantic off of Sand Beach during our annual Memorial Day weekend trips to Acadia--something he did twice this past season.
Ran was a solid climber, who climbed not only in the Northeast but also at most of the major areas in North America and Europe.
A Celebration of his Life will be held on Sunday, October 19, from 1-4pm at the Highland Center in Crawford Notch, NH.

You will be missed, Ran. I am glad for the pitches we did together and was counting on more.

Peace, Brother

Alan,

Funny that you brought up the fact that Ran was always so upbeat about the sport of climbing. One motivated guy and as I got older I learned that him saying," We'll take it easy, and not hurry", as we hiked up to the base; usually did not turn out that way.

  The first time I climbed with Ran was around 55 years ago.  He has assured me multiple times that I guided him up Intimidation, when I worked for a  very short time for the 1st guiding service up there. Strange, but I don't remember any of this.  He joked that I had holes in my climbing shoes.

I am glad that I got to visit with him the day before he passed on.

I first met Ran at the top of the Armadillo on Katahdin in 1978. I was just getting into climbing at the time, and I had hiked up the Abol trail with my sister and some of her high school friends; I was so fascinated I scrambled down to the unroping spot and pestered him with questions, which he fielded graciously. Much later, we became somewhat regular partners, especially on ice. I'm glad to hear I wasn't the only partner who sometimes feared his inexhaustible energy!

Ran was a longstanding volunteer of the AMC and the Boston Chapter - and I could always count on him to take new seconds up some of the classics at the Gunks... and I shamelessly emailed him the week before to make sure he could come! He will be missed. Condolences to his friends and family.

Ran was a wonderful mentor and friend.  I learned so much from him over the years -- and not just about climbing, he was a very warm, caring, human being, although as others have noted also driven and gritty, with a special compass for finding adventure.  I'm mainly an ice climber so I didn't see Ran much until the colder weather rolled around, and he was always so interested in what I had been up to during the "off-season".  I was already missing him and looking forward to this winter...

"The trouble is, you think you have time." -- Jack Kornfield

Hey gang, it's great to read all your anecdotes about Dad. We (Ann, Bess, and Ben) would love to see you at his Celebration of Life:

AMC Highland Center, Crawford Notch. Sunday, October 19th, 1-4 pm. Toasting to Ran at 2 pm. Climber casual.

His Funeral Service is Saturday, October 18th, 11 am. First Parish Congregational Church, Yarmouth, Maine.

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At the risk of embarrassing Dad, his extended obituary - 

Yarmouth - Harrison Randolph Glennon III, “Ran,” passed away on September 27, 2025, at 77 years young, after being diagnosed in July with an aggressive form of brain cancer.

Born to Harrison and Dickie Glennon on December 9, 1947, in New York, NY, Ran was raised in Riverside, Conn. He attended the South Kent School in Connecticut, graduated from Hamilton College with a degree in French Literature, and earned an MBA from Boston University. After finishing his sophomore year in 1967, he took a leave from Hamilton to enlist in the Army and serve in Vietnam. He was a Paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division and then sergeant in a Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol unit. Though he broke the family mold by joining the Army, as generations of Glennon men had storied careers in the Navy (the first USS Glennon destroyer was part of the Invasion of Normandy in June of 1945), he was raised with a strong sense of duty to country.

Fittingly, Ran met his future wife, Ann Gollon, on a New Year’s Eve at the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Cardigan Lodge in New Hampshire. Apparently fate, and a shared love of the outdoors, brought them together. Both lived in Boston at the time, but soon found their way to Maine. They were married in 1984 at the stone chapel long admired by Ran at the base of the Mount Washington Hotel (also fitting). The minister commented that Ran was the first man he met who chose the church before the bride.

Ran had an extensive career in commercial real estate appraisal, culminating in owning Eastern Appraisal and Consulting in Portland. Determined to be the consummate professional, he held several designations (MAI, AI GRS, and CRE), and at one point was President of the Maine Chapter of the Appraisal Institute. He often served as an expert witness in court, and enjoyed unique appraisal problems such as peat bogs, ferry terminals, and air rights. He took pride in doing the right thing, often finding himself across the aisle from a heavily capitalized firm.

Ran was active in his son’s Boy Scout Troop, introducing many boys to the rewards of time spent in nature. He embodied the “Be Prepared” motto, and led many a young scout across the Knife Edge on Katahdin, up Tuckerman’s on Mount Washington, or across New Mexico’s Sangre de Cristo Mountains at Philmont Scout Ranch. To this day, he lovingly (and annoyingly) asked family members to carry an ID to aid Search and Rescue in identifying the body in the event someone got lost.

With a “the-day’s-half-over” at 8:00 a.m. mantra, Ran took pride in his to-do list: presently 505 items, with 265 flagged “to do now.” He took up piano a few years ago, teaching himself after a 60 year hiatus, and regularly practiced his French [a book of conversational French is in the back seat of his Subaru alongside a half-eaten, sugar-laden (“white death”), chocolate chip muffin].

And then of course there is Ran the climber and mountaineer. He began rock climbing at Quincy Quarries in Boston over 50 years ago. Always training, he once he was caught on a climbing approach with rocks in the bottom of his pack. Just prior to his diagnosis he was still leading challenging routes at Cathedral Ledge. The “kids” (not even half his age) at EVO rock gym marveled at what this old guy could do. He taught rock and ice climbing with the Appalachian Mountain Club for decades, always focusing on sound technique and prioritizing safety. The influence he had in mentoring many young climbers cannot be overstated. He climbed throughout the U.S., Canadian Rockies, Mexico, Europe and Himalayas. Ran loved both travel and efficiency, so why squander a minute in the airport at the end of a climbing trip, when he could spend an hour at the Louvre, or start planning his next adventure on the plane ride home?

In 1982 at the annual AMC Climber’s Dinner, he received his first of several novelty awards: “The Fitness Award to Ran Glennon: Who runs, swims, eats salads (tons), bikes, and climbs in the same day then wonders if he has done enough - signed Weldon Calories.” And perhaps even more representative of Ran, in 2004 he was honored with the “Still Got It” Award. Always modest, he accepted these and other accolades with humor.

Though less intense than climbing, Ran loved the serenity of hiking, completing a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in 1976. He began hiking with his children at a young age, carrying them - one in the front, one on the back - up countless trails in Maine and the White Mountains. He loved the rugged trails of the East, and you could count on him to say “now that’s more like it” on the steepest part of the trail. In keeping with his military and Boy Scout background, he insisted his hiking companions were well prepared at all times, regardless of the length of the hike, elevation gain, or season (“bring everything you need to spend the night outside”).

Ran often observed that many climbers did not lead well balanced lives, given the training, commitment, and sacrifice the sport can require. He was determined to do otherwise, and nowhere is this more apparent than in his family life. He of course enjoyed watching his son and daughter play sports over the years, from t-ball to Colts to lacrosse and soccer state championship games. But Ran was much more a doer than an observer. When the kids were young, the family traveled to Italy’s Dolomites, hiking in the valleys and staying in high mountain huts. Along with countless camping trips in New Hampshire, Acadia National Park, and Colorado, the “family vacation” became a must-do. Over the years the Glennons traveled to Alaska, the Canadian Rockies, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Italy, Switzerland, Ireland, Costa Rica, Mexico, many islands in the Caribbean, and backpacked half of California’s John Muir Trail. But perhaps the most memorable trip of all was in 2001, when the family spent three months in their VW Westfalia (“Campie”) touring 23 National Parks, driving 9,000 miles, hiking over 250 miles together, and sleeping under the stars along the way. More recently, it was a great joy of Ran’s to welcome his son-in-law, DJ, and grandson, Harry, into our family.

Last but not least, Ran adored his cats, Paws, Whiskers, Finn, and Rose. Finnie would often sit on Ran’s lap while he played the piano (claiming Finn was fond of Rachmaninoff).

Ran was predeceased by his parents, Harrison and Dickie (Bailey) Glennon, and his brother, Francis Glennon. He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Ann Glennon, of Yarmouth, Maine; his son, Benjamin Glennon of Boulder, Colo.; his daughter, Elizabeth, husband David, and grandson Harrison (“Harry,” named after Ran) Hessler of Falmouth, Maine; brother-in-law, John Gollon of Rochester, NY; and niece, Katherine Gollon of Porter, Maine. He also leaves behind several cousins, their children, and many, many friends from every chapter of his remarkable life.

Dad, you instructed us to “Carry on.” We will do our best; you gave us the tools. We love and miss you every day. Love, Mom, Ben, and Bessie.

Ran’s memorial service will be at First Parish Congregational Church, 116 Main Street, Yarmouth, Maine, at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 18.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Ran’s memory to the Appalachian Mountain Club.

Beautifully written Ben. Yes, your Dad would be superficially embarrassed, but deeply proud.

• There's not a dry eye here, Ben.

Ben,

Your Dad was a fantastic climber who always remained humble and understated in his abilities. He was kind and patient with those of lesser skills. Ran will be greatly missed and is a huge loss to the community. 

Condolences to you and your family!

Hi Ben, it's been a while! Believe it or not, I ended up roped up with your dad & climbing with him for the first time this past winter at Ice Fest.  Before that I had seen him up at Cathedral, where many knew him on a first name basis just climbing by. He had enough energy for all of us and easily waltzed up a thinly-iced slab. We had a really great conversation that evening about adventure and balancing it all. I can't believe I didn't make the connection at the time - but I do recall as a younger father feeling inspired and humbled. Truly someone who lived multiple lives in one. May his memory be a blessing -JB

Ben,

Our whole family will miss your dad - we all enjoyed him when he came out to Colorado although my mom grumbled about him being the energizer bunny.

I know my parents treasured their friendship with your dad and they’ve talked a lot about fun adventures that they got up to with him and your mom over the years.

We are so sorry for your sudden loss. Our best wishes to you, Ann, and Bess.

-Melissa Lowe (plus George, Katie, and Liz Regan)

1. 
   
2. A 2019 climbing trip to Red River Gorge-one of the few times he wasn’t moving!
3. A great man and good climber! He will be missed, Ben 
4. my condolences to you and the family 
5. Jim Nupp

I am grateful to have known and climbed with Ran over the past "many" years and will always marvel at his youthful enthusiasm, positive energy and genuine kindness. The man of steel will be remembered as such. I think we can all say those of us who knew him are better people for it. Godspeed my friend. 

In all my years of climbing, I've had the privilege to meet some very nice people. Ran is very high on that list                                                                                                                                               Butch Kinnon                                                                                                                                                       P.S. Ran, "STAND IN THE DOOR". (It's an Airborne thing). He'd get it.

That's a real shame, I knew Ran in passing but never had the chance to spend much time with him. Such a quick illness. Rest in peace, sir. 

I am relatively a new member of AMC Boston Cllimbers' community. Thank you Ran for good-old-day stories, including both rock & ice climbing and always-supportive words (heard "gung ho" for the first time ever from him!). His memorial coincides with our community's annual Fall Frolic weekend, we will make sure to toast to him as well. Condolences to his family.  

Ben, I never met your dad but feel like him and I would have become fast friends if we had. His obituary is beautiful and describes a life well lived. Condolences to you and your family and to the New England climbing community for the loss of one of us.

What a beautiful life summed up in a beautifully written obituary. i wish i had known him, and im sorry for your loss.

Truly, Ran was a force. I had the good fortune to know Ran through the activity and love we shared with climbing. Ran was solid and good company. Over the years, along with others we experienced wonderful adventures including Spain Costa Blanca, Rocky Mountain National Park, Lumpy Ridge, Eldorado Canyon, Clear Creek Canyon, Boulder Canyon, Shelf Road, Moab, Yosemite, Tuolumne, Lover Leap, Smith Rock, Gunks and many other marvelous places.  

The long drives and fire side chats are not to be forgotten. 

Ran's fitness was legendary, as was his meticulous attention to detail and preparation.  On a trip to RMNP, the first time to climb the Petite, we camped and prepared for the early start and approach. That evening Ran meticulously reviewed, inspected and loaded his pack, to my recollection several times.

I waited until all was asleep, including Ran. I carefully unpacked Rans pack and filled the bottom with nearby rocks and then most meticulously repack. We all arose in the early morning dark, Ran quickly checked his pack and off we marched on the over 5 mile approach. I was so so disappointed. My scheme had not the result I anticipated. Despite the added pack weight, undeterred, Ran as usual set the unrelenting blistering pace for the entire 5 mile approach.

When we reached the base of the Petite, Ran and John started unpacking on the southwest, while Kenny and I readied for the standard route. Kenny and I could hear Ran apparently discovering the rocks lining the bottom of his pack.  Luckily, we were several hundred feet distant. 

Ran was a man of character and integrity. I will miss him.