My Father, Joe Hannan

For More CLICK HERE A life: Joseph F. Hannan, 1923-2008

By Frank Hannan

“Oh you can’t get to heaven”

“ Oh you can’t get to heaven on roller skates, you’ll roll right by those pearly gates, oh you can’t get to heaven on roller skates you’ll roll right by those pearly gates, I ain’t gonna grieve my lord no more” was the first line of my father’s song. (A traditional American folk tune) My father, Joe Hannan, according to my lifelong friend Steve La Sala was the only non-celebrity he ever met that “had his own personal theme song.”

More than 400 people attended his wake/funeral, including a former colleague from the US Post Office who hadn’t seen him since 1955. It was a testament to his accomplishments and a source of pride for my mom, myself and my brothers and sisters.

The Bergen Record was so impressed by his unusual life story they did a feature on him last Sunday. In the Sunday Trends that included his obituary, was a by-line by his namesake and grandson. You couldn’t have asked for a better tribute for a man who had a love affair with the written word.

Over the years people have come up to me and said, “ boy, you know a lot of people,” My favorite retort has been,“ The people I don’t know my father knows”. Dad knew everybody and never hesitated to strike up conversations with total strangers.
He was the original six degrees of separation man.

The author, teacher, lecturer, banjo player, singer, great dancer, historian, WWII Coast Guard Vet, community volunteer, renowned local humorist and family man was good old Joe Hannan. I never heard anyone ever say an unkind word about him. My mother gave up sending him out on errands because going to get a loaf of bread would turn into three hours. He would run into people he knew and start talking about the US Coast Guard, the Morris Canal, the last book he read or his family. Most times he came back without the bread.

In the early 1960’s while working as a teacher in Wayne, he wrote a humorist book called, “Never Tease a Dinosaur” which was later turned into a pilot for a show staring Dwayne Hickman of “Dobbie Gillis” fame. The pilot ran on TV a couple of times on the Summer Time Desilu Playhouse but unfortunately it was never picked up by any of the major networks. (There was only the big three then)

He had articles published in such major publications as McCall’s, Catholic Digest, The Herald News, New York Times, San Juan Star and numerous other academic and historical periodicals. His books made him a much sort after public speaker. He was an avid historian and founder of the Pompton Lakes Historic Preservation Committee member of the Passaic County Historical Society and board member and lecturer for the New Jersey Canal Society.

He was a banjo player and one of the lead singers for a group called “Justa Bunch of Banjos” and one time, they actually got to play as the warm-up act for the great Pete Seeger. Over the years, his Irish tenor renditions of the popular songs of his era put a smile on faces of many thousands of people.

He was a former member of the Pompton lakes Library Board, volunteer at Chilton Hospital, member of American Legion Post 242, beloved member of the US Coast Guard’s USS General WH Gordon reunion group and served in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters during WWII. He was a much-loved teacher and guidance counselor.

Father Kevin Downey pastor of Saint Mary’s Church in Pompton Lakes, who conducted the funeral mass, said it best. “Joe never did anything looking for personal recognition. Everything he did was purely done to benefit his community.”

The luncheon in his honor was a traditional Irish repast held at Berta’s Chateau, an Italian Restaurant in Wanaque owned by my elementary school classmate and my parent’s fellow Pompton Lakes resident Peter Bernstein. The waiters, Peter and Joe are like family, so we were completely surrounded by family and friends.

The music was provided by myself, and lifetime friends, Jim, Steve, John La Sala and Larry Morris of the renowned 3M band accompanied by my son Joe Hannan III. We sang, told stories, drank and ate in honor of a great husband, father, grandfather great grandfather, father- in- law, uncle, co-worker and friend. It was truly a celebration of his life.

We sang “Oh you can’t get to heaven” in the church and at the repast. My father would have loved it, unfortunately he had another gig at the time singing in the celestial choir but knowing dad, I am sure he was tempted to join us at the chorus. After all, we were singing his theme song.

Reprinted with permission (c) Aim West Milford