Jeremiah Behan

Jeremiah Behan, a leading Washington, DC, area construction finance banker, died April 28, 2020 at his home in Easton, MD, at the age of 70. The cause was amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. For three decades, Behan worked with builders to provide funding for commercial and housing construction central to the transformation and growth of Washington and its suburbs. In 2016, he retired as vice president of commercial lending at Main Street Bank in Fairfax, VA. He had also served as senior vice president for construction lending at Greater Atlantic Bank in Reston, VA, and as senior real estate lending officer at Virginia Heritage Bank in Tysons, VA. Behan married Darcy Lee Whitson in 1980. She died in October of 2022. Both are survived by their daughter, Alexis Behan, of Los Angeles, CA.; their son, Patrick Behan of Bethesda, MD.; his sister, Sarah Costello, of Phoenix, AZ.; his brother, Patrick, of Tucson, AZ.; and his sisters-in-law, Dawn Whitson, of Ocean Pines, MD. and Diana Laguna and husband Ramon, of Orlando, FL. Born and raised in Syracuse, NY, Behan attended local schools then earned a BS in Commerce from Niagara University in Lewiston, NY. After college, he relocated to the District of Columbia, where his sister, Sarah, lived; he found work for two years as a sales representative at the Shaw Walker office furniture store then on Connecticut Avenue. In the late seventies, Behan went to work for a small homebuilder in Arlington, VA. He ended up working nearly four years as a carpenter, building and framing homes for several independent Virginia and DC contractors. This experience, he said, taught him builders' concerns and perspectives that-in his banking career-helped him work effectively with clients. A loving father and husband, Behan always was happiest when with his family. He cherished spending time with his wife Darcy, especially taking long walks. He was an avid reader and enjoyed fishing. He had been a talented high school athlete, playing basketball and football. He was an ardent fan of the Yankees, and enjoyed watching college basketball, particularly the teams from the University of Virginia, where his daughter, Alexis, attended. He especially loved attending games of the St. John's College High School basketball team which is coached by his son, Patrick. There will be a private celebration of his life at a later date.