Page created by: Reed Lowenstein

Dan Hanan, beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, died Wednesday evening, March 17, 2021 after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease. His active life was filled with cherished memories of growing up on a farm in northwestern Oklahoma as the youngest of eight brothers and sisters. He treasured his own large family.

Dan earned a degree as a mechanical engineer from Oklahoma State University in 1954. After graduating, he served two years as a captain in the Air Force, where he was a navigator. He went on to work as a mechanical engineer in the energy industry for over a decade. He later started a business, Houston Vendmaster, which he owned until he retired in 1991. He was known for his ability to fix anything that needed fixing, from tinkering on cars to preparing a grilled chicken dinner.

He met his wife, Sharon, at the young adult group at Bethany Christian Church in Houston while he was serving in the Air Force. They married in 1956 and made Houston their home. Their four children were very important to him. He spent time with each of them on their education and helped them with countless after-school and church activities. He coached Little League games, attended school, church and dance performances, and shuttled his children around after school all while running his business—and in an era when most husbands left such responsibilities to their wives. He expanded this dedication to his grandkids, attending their numerous sporting and school events throughout their childhoods.

Always up for an adventure and new experiences, he traveled across the United States and throughout Europe to visit his grown children. He continually found ways to enjoy wildlife, be it in the city or countryside. In his spare time, Dan spent hours photographing nature, especially the wildflowers of Texas, and during trips from Maine to California. He was an active member of the Houston Photochrome Club and Houston Camera Club, and he won awards for his photography.

He and Sharon spent 10 years helping restore native prairie grasses and wildlife in Central Texas. Dan was a loyal supporter of and officer in the Texas Bluebird Society. He spent hours building and maintaining nesting boxes for Eastern Bluebirds. He was featured in the March 2008 issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife for his expertise in protecting these native birds, which are an endangered species.

He is survived by his wife, Sharon; son David and daughter-in-law Terri Hanan of Austin; son John and daughter-in-law Sarah Hanan of Richardson; son Stephen and daughter-in-law Cynthia Hanan of Sugar Land; and daughter Melanie Hanan and son-in-law Reed Lowenstein of Brooklyn, He also leaves behind seven grandchildren: Michael Hanan, married to Marie Franki, of Austin; Katie Thorkelson, married to John Thorkelson, of Austin; Kevin Hanan of Austin; Emma Hanan of Houston; Caroline Hanan of Durham, Ariela Lowenstein and Alexandra Lowenstein, of Brooklyn; and one great-grandchild, Josie Thorkelson, of Austin. He is also survived by several nephews and nieces. Flowers or donations will be gratefully accepted. Donations may be made to either the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center or the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.