Brian James Nolan

1998 – 2025

Brian James Nolan, 27, of Mayfield Heights, Ohio, passed away unexpectedly on September 25, 2025. His death has left his family and friends devastated, but his life leaves behind a story far too bright and far too big to ever be dimmed.The world is a better place because of people like Brian. You can see it in the flood of stories shared since his passing; from Cleveland to Arizona and everywhere in between.Teammates, classmates, cousins, and friends have filled the world with Brian’s name, telling their stories. The details vary, but the themes do not: endless laughter, unwavering loyalty, and the kind of friendship that made you feel like family. If you knew Brian, you loved him. You had no choice. That was his gift. He had a way of turning strangers into teammates. From the dugouts in Mayfield, Ohio to the college fields at Sinclair, and later to the ballfields under Arizona’s desert skies, Brian brought the same game plan: show up early, lift the people around you, and never forget the gas-station candy on the way. He chirped, he joked, he encouraged. He could bust your chops and still make you feel completely seen. And somehow, you left every moment with him feeling a little lighter. He never judged. He met people where they were. And when he loved you, that was it…he loved you all the way.When Brian did something, he gave it everything he had. As a son, a brother, a teammate, a friend, or an employee, he leaned all the way in: heart first, exactly as the young man he was raised to be: loyal, devoted, and committed. Whether it was a baseball game or a friendship, Brian showed up fully, and he carried the people he loved right along with him.That’s why, when Brian realized he wanted to live a life of sobriety, he leaned in with everything he had. He found new teammates—inside recovery rooms, on the softball field, and in the hearts of people who walked that path beside him. He was proud of the trust he rebuilt. Proud of the faith he discovered. Proud of the man he was becoming. He recently posted that Guiding Road Recovery Center in AZ helped him build a life he could stand inside of…and he meant it.If you're reading this and wondering, how could someone like Brian, so loved, so full of life, struggle with addiction? Read it again. And again. What you’ll find is that addiction doesn’t care how much you’re loved. It doesn’t care how beautiful your heart is, how many people count on you, or how hard you try. It doesn’t consider how perfect your family is or how incredibly your parents raised you. Addiction doesn’t only visit the lonely. It doesn’t only affect the lost. It affects the brightest, the kindest, the most fiercely loved.Brian was all of those things. And still, he fought. Bravely. This is said not with shame, but with clarity and love. Because this is not a secret, nor a failure. This is a public health crisis, and silence is its most loyal accomplice.

His story is not one of defeat. It is a story of courage, of community, of redemption, and of a young man who made people feel less alone, right until the very end. His final words, written just one day before he passed, are the truest reflection of who he was: that he had found peace with God, that he was living a happier life, and that anyone who asks for help deserves a hand.Addiction does not define a person. It is one chapter in a life that holds many. Brian’s story is of courage, generosity, and the way he made people feel as part of his team.Brian graduated from Mayfield High School in 2017, played baseball at Sinclair Community College, and earned a degree in Finance and Analytics from Ohio University. He is the beloved son of Lisa Opoka Nolan and Brian D. Nolan (Tracie); the fiercely proud brother of Rory, Reece, and Maggie; the grandson of the late Robert and Rosemarie Opoka and Brian Nolan; cherished grandson of Sandra Steckley, nephew of Carla Graham (Mark), Jody Gzywinski (Bill), and the late Andy Nolan; and loved by cousins, teammates, and lifelong friends who will carry his number and his name forward.

We will remember the nicknames. The jokes that will last decades more. The rally caps. The sideways smirk. The gas-station stops. The way he turned ordinary days into something you wanted to write down and remember. More than anything, we will remember his heart. And, we will carry it forward.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Thursday, October 2, at DiCicco & Sons Funeral Home, 5975 Mayfield Road, Mayfield Heights, OH. Visiting hours begin at 2:00 PM, with the service to follow at 6:30 PM. In lieu of flowers, consider making a contribution to help the family with the costs of celebrating a life as big and generous as Brian’s. More than anything, honor him by doing what he did best: show up fully, love people loudly, give your all to the things that are important to you… and always, always grab the candy before the game.