Henry "Hank" Elliott Lane Jr.

Henry “Hank” E. Lane, Jr., was born in Atlanta Georgia and grew up in Buckhead. His parents were Emily and Henry Lane. He attended Northside High School where he was captain of the football team and was on the track team and the wrestling team.

His love for the military began in high school when he served as an officer of R.O.T.C. After graduating from the University of Georgia, he served as a medic for six years in the U.S. Army Reserves.

When he got to the University of Georgia, his leadership skills naturally found places to mature. Hank served as President of the Inter-Fraternity Council, was a member of Chi Phi fraternity, and was inducted into SPHINX, which, at the time, was the highest honor a male student could attain at the university.

He was also in Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Society, Blue Key, and Gridiron Secret Society.

When he graduated, he returned to Atlanta and became a banker, but he never left being a Georgia Bulldog behind. He served as President of the Young Alumni Society and his love for the Georgia Bulldogs football team grew more important every season. No one on the planet was happier than Hank Lane when the Dawgs won two national championships in a row recently.

Two stories about his love for the Georgia Bulldogs are representative of how much the Dawgs meant to him. Hank contracted pneumonia last fall and was in the hospital for more than a week. He talked the doctor into letting him leave the hospital a day early so he could be home to watch the Georgia versus Tennessee game in HIS chair on HIS television.

A few years ago, his wife Connie was in an important meeting at work. All of a sudden, a cell phone started ringing and the ringtone was the University of Georgia Fight Song. Connie looked around the room, waiting for the person who owned the phone to turn off the ringer, but when no one did, she looked down at her purse and realized it was her phone! Hank was calling to see how she liked her new ringtone that he installed the night before to surprise her.

During Hank’s career as a banker, he achieved the title of Senior Vice President & Group Executive with Wachovia Bank, which later, became Wells Fargo Bank. He enjoyed hiring younger professionals and sharing the benefit of his years of experience with them. When Hank retired, his staff gave him a party and presented him with a plaque that captured what they called “Hankisms” – or sayings that frequently found their way into his conversations.

Mentoring was an important part of who Hank was. He coached the 7th and 8th grade football teams made up of students from East Cobb Middle School. Then, when this group of young men advanced to Wheeler High School, Hank served as President of the Wheeler High School Touchdown Club for two years.

When they were in middle school, Coach Lane began telling these young men that they were going to win the football region championship when they were juniors and seniors in high school. At the time, the football program at Wheeler was going through some lean years, but just as Coach Lane predicted, these young men won those region championships.

Hank and Connie were married for 43 years. They joined Church of the Apostles 22 years ago. Until his health started failing him, Hank was a farewell greeter, an active member of the ABC Bible study group, a host for the visitor’s reception, and a host for First Look classes.

Hank was an athlete all his life. He was a golfer and enjoyed tennis and racket ball. But when health problems prevented him from participating in sports, he became a numismatist, which is someone who collects coins. He became an expert regarding the gold and silver markets and loved to share his knowledge.

Hank Lane never met a stranger. He was known as a very friendly, dependable person who cared deeply about his friends and family. Often times, when tempers flared, Hank was the calm voice in the room who brought people with opposing views together.

Even after his health issues took away much of what he loved about life, Hank always had a good attitude. When friends and even his doctors asked how he could be so positive when he had so many serious health issues, Hank would tell them, “My attitude is the only thing left that I have control over, so I am going to have a great one.” Spoken and lived like the overachiever Hank Lane was. Hank loved life regardless of the hand he was dealt because he believed that there was nothing that he and Jesus couldn’t handle.

Hank is survived by his wife, Connie Lane; three sons, Henry E. Lane, III, William Lane, and Jeff Davis (Jennifer); and six grandchildren, Emily Lane, Hannah Lane, Jackson Lane, Ashley Davis, Luke Davis, and Cole Davis.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to his favorite charity, Leading the Way Global Ministry at ltw.org.