He was the son of William Francis Honan, a thoracic surgeon, and Annette Neudecker Honan, a journalist, and a brother of the journalist William Honan of "The New York Times".
He was the son of William Francis Honan, a thoracic surgeon of Irish descent, and Annette Neudecker Honan, a journalist of English descent. His brother was the journalist William Honan of "The New York Times".