Horace F. “Buck” Hanna, Jr. – Obituary
Horace F. Hanna, Jr. died Sunday, February 28, 2021, at the Susque-View Home in Lock Haven. He was 95 years old. Dubbed Buck Hardy the Daredevil by a boyhood friend, Horace subsequently went by the nickname Buck all of his life. Buck was born May 8, 1925 in Lock Haven, the son of the late Horace F. Hanna, Sr. and Loretto Dennehy Hanna. On November 23, 1950, Horace Hanna, Jr. and Celestine Kelly were married in Pittston, PA at St. John, the Evangelist Catholic Church. Celestine, the love of Buck’s life, died on February 12, 2008.
Horace served in the U.S. Army from 1943-1946 at the rank of Staff Sergeant. Buck was a very proud 1949 graduate of Mt. St. Mary’s College in Emmitsburg, Maryland, with a Bachelor of Science degree in History and a minor in Literature. Given any opportunity, Buck could often be heard singing The Bells of St. Mary’s, regaling anyone willing to listen. On May 19, 2015, Buck travelled with a few family members to his beloved Mt. St. Mary’s to celebrate his 90th birthday. The Mount treated him royally with a guided tour of campus, a birthday party in the dining hall, and a Mass in the campus chapel.
After his college graduation, Buck briefly tried his hand at the Hanna family insurance business. From 1951-1954, Buck co-owned and operated the Senate, a popular local watering hole on Bellefonte Avenue. After having earned his teaching certification from Lock Haven State Teachers College, Buck found the work he was meant to do. He taught for one year in Newton, New Jersey before returning to Lock Haven to teach at Lock Haven High School for 31 years, retiring in 1986. Scores of former students have praised his teaching of American History – the joy of being in his classroom. And, in 1965, the Lock Haven High School yearbook dedication read, “To Horace F. Hanna, a man dedicated to the principle that getting an education can be fun.”
Horace Hanna served as a Lock Haven City Council Member and was a long-standing member of the Clinton County Planning Committee, serving as Vice Chairperson and Chairperson during his tenure. Buck was also an active member of the Clinton County Democratic Committee. As a dedicated teacher, he was active in the Clinton County Educators Association and a member of the Pennsylvania State Education Association and the National Education Association. Buck was a member of Holy Spirit Parish and a longtime Lector at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. As a charter member of the Clinton County Division 2 Ancient Order of Hibernians, Buck was named the Hibernian of the Year in 2004.
As the proud father of five children, sixteen grandchildren, and twenty-two great grandchildren, Buck cherished his family. Among his greatest joys were Sunday dinners with family and yearly Shore vacations with Celestine, his children, and their growing families. Buck was a voracious reader, a gifted gardener, a pro at historically-based storytelling, the one you called upon for definitions of any multi-syllabic word puzzler, and quite simply a very funny man. He was a gentleman full of gratitude and positivity.
Horace Hanna is survived by his four sons, Joseph P. (Susan), Horace F. “Frank” (Susan), Michael K. (Susan), and John V. (Suzanne), and one daughter, Maribeth Hanna Long (Lenny), all of Lock Haven. Horace was preceded in death by three brothers, Justin, Thomas, and James Hanna and one sister, Margaret Mary Hanna Costella.
Buck’s Funeral Mass of Christian Celebration will be attended by immediate family only. A Livestream of the Mass will be available to the public on the Donald G. Walker Funeral Home Facebook page with access to the stream beginning at 10:45 A.M. on Saturday, March 6, 2021.
Buck will be laid to rest at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Lock Haven.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Buck’s name may be made to Susque-View Home or the Lock Haven Catholic School Endowment Fund, c/o Donald G. Walker Funeral Home, Inc., 231 High St., Flemington, PA 17745.
Online condolence submissions as well as a link to the Facebook livestream may be accessed by visiting www.donaldwalkerfuneralhome.com
