John William Hanna

John William “Jack” Hanna, formerly a longtime resident of Palm Harbor, Florida and Barrington, Illinois and, most recently residing in Bettendorf, Iowa, passed away on November 6, 2026 at the age of 93.

Jack was born on June 15, 1933, in Berwyn, Illinois, to William and Eleanor Hanna. He married the love of his life, Lola Margaret Hammond, on January 7, 1956. To say that Jack and Lola were soulmates is an understatement. Born in the same hospital 3 days apart and baptized on the same day at St. Leonard’s Catholic Church in Berwyn, Illinois their families and life’s were intertwined from the beginning.

Jack proudly served in the United States Army Reserve near the end of the Korean conflict.

Jack enjoyed a long and successful career with Eaton Corporation, working in its automotive and appliance divisions. He began his career as a salesman and steadily advanced through the ranks, eventually becoming president of the company’s European division and later serving as a vice-president at Eaton’s world headquarters.

During his years with Eaton, Jack had many positive professional experiences and developed several life-long friendships with special colleagues. In addition, Jack and his family had the memorable opportunity to live in the South of France for two years. It was there that Jack and Lola first developed a fondness for boating as they strolled along the Mediterranean admiring the water and the many sailing vessels.

Blessed with an early retirement, Jack spent many wonderful years enjoying the things he loved most. An avid hunter and fisherman, he shared countless adventures with friends, family, and business associates. He also loved boating and spent many happy years traveling the Great Lakes and the waters surrounding Florida on his boats “The Fugitive” and “The Gemini”. His most treasured travel companions included his beloved wife, Lola, his sister, Elaine, and her husband, Eddie; and his children and their families. Together, they created happy memories that remained close to his heart throughout his life.

Jack enjoyed watching and participating in many sports. He water-skied, snow-skied, played handball, racket ball, golf and tennis. He was also an avid spectator of football, hockey, golf, and tennis. Jack was fortunate enough to attend many professional games featuring the sports he loved, with a special fondness for the Chicago Bears and Chicago Blackhawks. Taking his children and father to Cubs games became a summer ritual. For many years, Jack also enjoyed friendly weekly football bets with his grown son, Gene. They picked their teams each week and kept a running total of who was ahead, although it is doubtful that any money ever changed hands.

Jack was also an exceptionally gifted handyman. There seemed to be no project he could not tackle and complete with beautiful results. Whether landscaping, painting, remodeling a room, repairing an appliance, or working on a car, Jack could do it all. He generously shared those talents with his family, friends, and neighbors, readily lending a hand whenever something needed to be built, improved, or repaired. Lola and his kids remember that many of his jobs were gauged by the number of cases of beer that would need to be consumed to complete the work. His work was one of the many ways he showed how much he cared for others.

Although Jack sometimes shied away from social events, once he arrived, he often became the life of the party. People were naturally drawn to his wonderful sense of humor, and the laughter he brought to others will be remembered with great affection.

Jack is survived by his wife, Lola (Hammond) Hanna; his children, Debbie (Greg) Miller, Dana Hanna (Chris Schroeder), Lauri Hanna, and Gene (Joyce) Hanna;

his daughter-in-law, Ruth Hanna; his granddaughters, Ali Miller (Greg and Debbie) and Elaine Hanna (Lauri); his step-grandchildren Dawn Whytas and Dennis Ward(Gene and Joyce); a special nephew, Mike Rice (Ellen); and a special niece, Mary Flynn (Dan).

Jack was preceded in death by his parents, William and Eleanor Hanna; his son, Scott Hanna; his grandson, Stephen Hanna; his sister, Elaine Rice; his brother-in-law, Edward “Eddie” Rice; and a special niece, Karen Rice Osterman.

Jack will be remembered for his remarkable abilities, generous spirit, quick wit, adventurous nature, love of sports, and the many ways he enriched the lives of his family and friends. His was a life filled with accomplishment, travel, laughter, competition, and devotion to those he loved. He will be deeply missed and warmly remembered.

A funeral service will be held at a later date with interment in the Queen of Heaven Cemetery, Hillside, IL

Memorials may be made to Blood Cancer United (formerly Leukemia and Lymphoma Society) or The Iowa Chapter of the Alzheimer Association.