Gordon L. Hanna

Gordon Leon Hanna was born October 19, 1924, in Hibbing, Minnesota, to the Reverends Edgar and Ethel Hanna. He passed away November 8th, 2012, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, November 17th, 11 a.m. at the Tri-Lakes United Methodist Church in Monument, Colorado.

He grew up attending the elementary schools of Denver. He attended high schools in Brownsville and El Paso, Texas.

During World War II he served in the U.S. Maritime Service aboard tankers in the Pacific. Following his discharge from the Navy, he returned to college and graduated from Pasadena College with a B.A. in religion and speech.

Later Gordon became interested in education and received his M.A. in public school education and administration from the University of Texas at El Paso as he began his teaching career. This career included teaching and administrative positions in El Paso, Texas; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Colorado Springs and Westminster, Colorado.

Gordon became increasingly concerned about the quality of religious education in churches. He became a full-time children’s pastor in churches of the Nazarene in Oklahoma and Colorado. He was noted for his unique teaching style, for the summer activities he led, and for the children’s dramatic musical performances he conducted. Children enjoyed the use of his many kinds of puppets.

Gordon married Alfreda Wuester (Huhnke) in 1960. They had three children: Terry (Phyllis), Alfred (Michelle), and Christie Zayac (Mike). There are three grandchildren: Mallory (Triplett), Brennan, and Lauren. He is survived by his sister Esther (Arias) of Costa Rica and his brother Bill (China Spring, Texas). His sister, Winona Ingram, preceded him in death.