Thomas C. Hanzel

Col. Thomas C. Hanzel, age 85, of San Antonio, died Wednesday, August 1, 2001. He was born near Faribault, MN, to Francis J. and Charlotte Hanzel on July 9, 1916, the only surviving son in a family of 7 children. Tom was a gifted athlete and starred in basketball both in high school and college. He married Ellen Gwyneth Brown in June 1942 and began an outstanding military career in the Air Force. Tom belonged to the 90th Bombardment Group, The Jolly Rogers, during World War II. He piloted B-24s on 41 missions out of New Guinea. Over the course of twenty-four years, Tom traveled around the world and held various positions in the Air Force including Commander of Iwo Jima. He and his family moved to San Antonio in 1960 where he retired from the Air Force in 1965. Tom served as Director of Sunshine Cottage, 1966-67, and became Director of Personnel at Trinity University in 1968. He retired from Trinity in 1985. Tom Hanzel was an avid sportsman all his life. He held course records at several golf courses around the country and brought the same passion to competitive skeet shooting. He enjoyed introducing people to the sport of shotgun shooting, and was an enthusiastic instructor to all his students including his son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren. One of Tom's proudest achievements was first instigating and then instructing the Trinity Skeet Team for 16 years. Tom loved his "Trinity Kids", and took great pleasure in keeping up with them after graduation. Tom is in the Texas Skeet Shooting Hall of Fame and was inducted into the National Skeet Shooting Hall of Fame in 1981. Tom loved and was devoted to his family. He took immense pride and delight in his grandchildren. He was their faithful advocate. Tom was preceded in death by his daughter, Anne. He is survived by his wife, Gwyneth; son, Steve and wife, Betsy; grandsons, Teal and Parker Hanzel; granddaughters, Taylor and Pace Hanzel; sisters, Helen Benson, Jeannie Monahan, and Rosemary Witt.

Pallbearers: Carla Morrison, Herb Stumberg, Todd Bender, John Shima, Russ Magbee, Fred Bosshardt, Teal Hanzel and Parker Hanzel.