William Alexander Hahn

William Alexander Hahn, of Lewisburg, died on July 2, 2015 at the age of 94.

“Bill,” as he was known by his many friends, was born on July 23, 1920 in Bethel, Connecticut. The son of William Alexander Hahn and Ruth Irene Clark, Bill grew up with his three sisters in Danbury, Connecticut. The second born in the family, Bill showed from the beginning that he was going to be a precocious child. He enjoyed playing school with his older sister Wilda, who would come home from first grade every day and reteach the lessons to her willing and apt younger brother. The following year, he completed first grade in only six months. From that point on, Bill never lost his passion for education and learning.

Growing up, Bill became an avid reader, and despite the fact that the family did not have much money, his mother always strove to keep him supplied with books. Bill read anything he could get his hands on. Like many of the boys of his generation, he was especially fascinated by stories of the pioneers of early aviation like Charles Lindberg.

During his high school years, he was active in the Boy Scouts. He especially enjoyed taking weekend camping trips on his bicycle, sometimes with the Scouts and sometimes with his best friend, Gordon Hall. He also played basketball for the First Congregational Church in the local church league. In 1937, at the age of 16 and one year ahead of schedule, he graduated with honors from Danbury High School.

After graduation from Danbury High, Bill spent a year working as a clerk at the Logan Brother’s Grocery Store. For a 52 hour week, he earned the princely sum of $12.00.  In 1938, having gained some maturity and a little cash, he enrolled in Danbury Teachers College. He was treasurer of the freshman class and a member of the basketball team. As a sophomore, demonstrating his usual interest and aptitude for all things, and with no previous musical background, he joined the college’s a capella choir. The choir performed throughout Connecticut and parts of New York including New York City. The experience provided him with many of the best times of his college days. During his senior year a cute, athletic and somewhat quiet freshman girl from the nearby small town of New Milford, Connecticut joined the choir. Her name was Sylvia Conn. Bill was smitten, and by the end of his senior year, he and Sylvia were an “item.” Sylvia became the one and only true love of his life.

It was during his years at Danbury Teachers College, that Bill also became involved in aviation. With the growing probability that the United States would be drawn into the war in Europe, the government had instituted a Civilian Pilot Training Program. The only cost to participate was a seven dollar physical, but seven dollars was beyond the means of a young college student from a working class family with four children. One day while Bill was in the college social room, he was approached by one of his professors who asked him why, despite his obvious interest, he had not joined the CPTP program at Danbury’s Airport. When Bill told him there was no money available for such an expense, the teacher pulled out his wallet and handed him the seven dollars needed for the physical. After that, Bill spent his free time at the Danbury Airport flying Piper Cubs. As usual, his instructors recognized his ability pronouncing him ready to solo in record time.

In June of 1942, Bill graduated from college and one month later he enlisted in the Army Air Corps. As both copilot and pilot of a Martin Marauder B-26 medium bomber, he flew 38 combat missions in the European Theater of the Second World War. His unit became famous as “The Bridge Busters,” and he fought in every major campaign in Western Europe. His first combat mission was D-Day, June 6, 1944, when he flew over the invasion fleet to attack a German coastal battery. His last mission was an attack on the Eller Bridge during The Battle of the Bulge. An attack from which only 3 of 9 planes returned. During his service, Bill attained the rank of First Lieutenant and received numerous decorations including a Purple Heart, an Air Medal, 6 Bronze Clusters, and a Presidential Unit Citation.

Happy to be alive, he returned home and on July 12, 1945, he and Sylvia were married. Their youthful dreams included Sylvia buying a horse and Bill owning his own airplane. Instead, they had two sons. Bill also returned to his first passion in life, education. He landed his first teaching job in Wethersfield, Connecticut. There he taught 6th and 7th grade. In 1952, he moved his young family to Darien, Connecticut where he served as principal at The Annex School and then Royal School. In 1960, the family moved again to West Simsbury, Connecticut, and Bill returned to teaching at Tariffville Elementary. Teaching his 5th grade students at Tariffville and the rural setting of his home in West Simsbury, provided Bill with many of the happiest years of his life. As an avid amateur astronomer, Bill could be seen on a warm spring evening with his 5th grade class, lying on the bleachers behind Tariffville Elementary, studying the wondrous mysteries of the night sky. In addition to his outstanding teaching, he gave time to the school district as the Supervisor of the Simsbury Adult Education Program. He also served for many years on the Connecticut State Education Association’s Retirement Board, serving a term as the Board Chairman.

Upon retiring from teaching, Bill continued to fill his time with many interests. In addition to astronomy, he became intrigued with genealogy and spent many hours researching the family history. He was an avid gardener, and he and Sylvia also enjoyed hiking. They did numerous climbs in The Presidential Range in northern New England and were proud of having done an ascent of Mt. Washington. They also enjoyed traveling. Their trips included England, the Caribbean and many adventures camping in their trailer. They especially enjoyed taking the trailer throughout the American Southwest. Additionally, Bill devoted many hours to volunteer work with disabled veterans and for these efforts was recognized as Volunteer of the Year in the Greater Hartford, Connecticut Area.

Bill and Sylvia moved to Lewisburg, PA in 1991. Shortly thereafter, Bill faced the most difficult challenge of his life when it became apparent that the wife he adored was suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease. Bill met this challenge with his typical courage and grace. He became an active member of the Susquehanna Valley Alzheimer’s Support Group, doing whatever he could to learn about the disease that afflicted his beloved Sylvia and to ease her final years. He served as the group’s Assistant Treasurer for 5 years and did what he could to benefit the organization whether it was sharing research or cleaning up after a meeting.  In 2006, he was awarded a certificate of appreciation for his efforts

Bill was also active in the Lewisburg Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7715 and served for a time as the chaplain.

In addition to his wife, Bill was preceeded in death by his sister Faith Gordon Latimer. He is survived by his sisters Wilda Ruth Frost of State College, PA and Virginia Allen Walters of Westboro, MA; his sons and their wives, Jeffrey and Julia Hahn of Tucson, AZ and David and Meriam (Mimi) Hahn of Lewisburg, PA; four grandchildren, Eric Hahn and wife Kristin of San Diego, CA, Stephen Hahn of Tucson, AZ, Elizabeth Grove of Selinsgrove, PA and Scott Hahn and wife Lindsey of Lewisburg, PA. He is also survived by his seven great grandchildren, Austin, Andrew, Sylvia, Hannah, Connor, Gary and Alexander. 

A memorial service is being planned and will be announced at a later date.

The family will provide the flowers and suggests contributions be made to either Wounded Warrior Project, P. O. Box 758517, Topeka, Kansas 66675 or online at www.woundedwarriorproject.org or Alzheimer’s Association, 2595 Interstate Drive, Suite 100, Harrisburg, PA 17110 (online at www.alz.org)

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