Obituary: Rehab Queen –
MAY 8, 2019 – Born in Estherville, Iowa, and raised in Bloomington, Colleran moved to small towns in Wisconsin — Centuria and Balsam Lake — to raise a family after she married Jim Colleran. In 1988 she began working as a counselor at Hazelden, based in Center City, Minn. Later, she established a treatment program for older adults at Hazelden’s affiliate in West Palm Beach, Fla. “She had to fight for it,” said Brenda Iliff, executive director of Hazelden Betty Ford in Naples, Fla. “There was some ageism in the system.” Iliff said Colleran’s passion for the needs of older adults helped the program grow, as did her personal approach. “She was a very warm mentor and was willing to share anything,” said Iliff.
