HYLAND, JOHN “PACKY” (January 18, 1942 - May 27, 2009) was a businessman and cofounder of Hyland Software, Inc. He was born to parents John P. and Catherine (Conway) Hyland on Cleveland’s East Side. Hyland graduated in 1960 from CATHEDRAL LATIN SCHOOL before attending JOHN CARROLL UNIVERSITY. He worked in various sales positions in three Fortune 500 Companies, winning the Top Producer/Man of the Year Award from the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company in 1972. In 1975, he co-founded and became director of WOMANKIND MATERNAL AND PRENATAL CENTER, the first free clinic in America for women with untimely pregnancies. To insure the quality of the care provided, he secured assistance from three Cleveland-area hospitals and 28 physicians.
In 1991, he founded Hyland Software Inc, along with his son Packy Jr., funded by family, friends, small investors and $20,000 of Hyland’s own money. Developers of the enterprise content management software suite, OnBase, the company has acquired clients in healthcare, financial institutions, insurance, government, higher education and manufacturing. While the company did not make a profit until 1999, Packy Sr’s charismatic leadership was credited with inspiring most of the original employees to see the company through its first successful year. In 1997, Hyland turned the role of company president over to his son. In 2007, he resigned his position on Hyland Software’s board, subsequently forming a Westlake-based IT support company, OneLink Technical Services LLC, with his son-in-law DeWayne Ashcraft, and serving as vice president of business development.
After retiring, Hyland helped with fundraising for a number of charitable organizations and economic development efforts. He was active in supporting the West Side Catholic Center, the CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY athletic department, St. Edward High School and the LifeWorks Ohio Education Fund (which promotes adoption and women’s health issues). Hyland was a board member of Say YES! to Cleveland, a nonprofit created to spur entrepreneurship. He was honored with the 2003 WALKS OF LIFE AWARD from the Irish American Archives Society.
He was married to Charlene Marie (Corr) Hyland, with whom he had four children: Packy Jr., Christopher, A.J., and Kate. He passed away in 2009 at the age of 67 and is buried in St. Joseph Cemetery in Avon, OH.
Daniel Brennan and David Patrick Ryan