Victor D. Irelan

Victor D. Irelan of Columbus, Ohio, and Longboat Key, Florida, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loved ones on Thursday, October 26th, 2023. He was 89 years old. Vic was preceded in death by his parents, his wife of 57 years, Judy (Sellers) Irelan, and his wife, Donna Farnham. Vic was born in Greenville, Ohio, on October 23rd, 1934, to Paul and Dorothy (Keller) Irelan. In the Greenville School System, Vic developed his deep passion for sports as a three-letter high school athlete in football, basketball, and baseball.

Vic attended The Ohio State University in the College of Engineering and graduated in 1957 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. At Ohio State, he earned a Varsity O as student manager of all intramural sports. Vic was also a member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity, serving as president, was a member of the Inter-Fraternity Council, and was inducted into the Kappa Sigma Hall of Fame as an Alumnus. These activities and experiences taught him leadership skills, cemented numerous lifelong friendships, and continued to foster his love of sports.

Vic started his career at Standard Oil in St. Louis, Missouri. Returning to Columbus a few years later, Vic and his partner, Bob Dodge, started a site excavation business, Dodge-Irelan Company, and later founded Dublin Building Systems, a general contracting firm. Vic devoted his career to construction throughout 50-plus years, where he held various executive roles as President and Chairman of the Board. He helped create the Ohio State University Construction Internship Program and was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the College of Engineering in 1999. He was an industry leader serving the Builders Exchange of Ohio, the National Association of Industrial and Office Parks, and the Ohio Contractors Association as past president.

Vic earned many awards for his leadership. To name a few, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement in Construction from Ernst & Young in 1999 and the Lifetime Achievement Award for Central Ohio Diabetes Association in 2000. In 2022, he was honored with the Legends of Steel award from Varco-Pruden and received the NAIOP-Columbus Lifetime Achievement Award this year. Vic attributed his long, successful career in the construction industry to his “entrepreneurial spirit, willingness to take risks, and a little luck along the way.”

Vic was a strong community advocate. His commitment was evident as a board member of the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce, a former chairman and co-founder of the Chambers Presidents Roundtable, and president of the Central Ohio Diabetes Association. He was a member of the Columbus Rotary Club and the OSU Presidents Club. Vic also proudly served as Development Board Members for both the Riverside Hospital Foundation and Dublin Methodist Hospital Foundation and as a past president of the National Systems Builders Association. Vic was a member of Trinity Methodist Church in Marble Cliff, Ohio, and Christ Church in Longboat Key, Florida.

His love of sports and competitive nature never stopped. As an adult, he loved to play golf, tennis, and platform tennis and organized annual Olympic events with friends and neighbors. He was a member of the Worthington Hills Country Club, where he won a Club Championship in tennis, a member of Muirfield Village Golf Club, where he was a member of the Memorial Club, and the Geezers Golf Group and immensely enjoyed the friendships made. He was also a member of The Longboat Key Club, where he won the senior championship for three years. More recently, he belonged to Scioto Country Club, where he enjoyed the Senior Swats. Vic was also proud of his four “holes in one” during his lifetime.

Passionate about travel, Vic ventured on many golf trips, including to Scotland and England, visits to historic sites like Normandy and Gettysburg, as well as many cruises. A tried and true Buckeye fan from early on, Vic had great fun traveling to cheer on the OSU football team for many away and championship games with friends and family. His love for the Buckeyes was enthusiastically passed on to his children and grandchildren who have great memories of many football games and tailgates together. Vic was a very loving and involved father, encouraging his four children to pursue their passions and sports, and instilling his strong work ethic. His family is grateful for Vic’s balancing of work and family time and have such fond memories of regular family vacations to Walloon Lake, Longboat Key, and many cross-country motorhome trips.

The loved ones who will deeply miss Vic are his wife, Binnie Irelan, and his children, Vicki Howe (Bob), Dave Irelan (Rose), Tom Irelan (Tanya), and Rich Irelan (Lori) and brother-in-law, Jack Sellers. Although Vic had many roles throughout his life, it was the role of grandfather and great-grandfather that he cherished and will no doubt leave an impression on all his grandchildren: Amanda Seguin (Tom), Lauren Moncrief (Craig), Rachel Irelan (Sammy Taggett), Banks Irelan (Miranda), Olivia Irelan, Bailey Irelan, Maddie Irelan, Jordyn Irelan, Brady Irelan, and Nick Irelan. He had four precious great-grandchildren, Katie and Jack Seguin, Rapha Taggett, and Everett Moncrief. He was also a special “Bonus Dad” to Binnie’s daughters, Stephanie McKeon (Jim), Wendy Kunes (Jeff), Alison Nitschke, and granddaughter Charlotte Kunes. Vic also had a special love for Donna Farnham’s family. Vic’s family and friends will always hold him in their hearts and his love, spirit and warm smile will live on in each of those lives he touched.

The family will receive friends at Schoedinger Dublin, 5980 Perimeter Dr, on Monday, October 30th, from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM. A Celebration of Life service will be held at Trinity United Methodist Church at 3:00 PM on Tuesday, October 31st, at 1581 Cambridge Boulevard, Columbus, Ohio. A gathering of family and friends will be held immediately after the service at Scioto Country Club, 2196 Riverside Dr., Columbus, Ohio. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Vic’s memory to The OhioHealth Foundation for Dublin Methodist Hospital at http://Foundation.OhioHealth.com/Vic or the Central Ohio Diabetes Association at https://www.lifecarealliance.org/donate/online-donation/.