Alvin Hahn's Obituary
Alvin Carl Hahn, 98½, died peacefully in his sleep on Sunday morning, March 26, 2023.
Born on September 9, 1924 on a family farm in Batavia, Ohio, Alvin enjoyed a life of adventure and accomplishment, of faith and family. He served as an electrician’s mate second class in the U.S. Navy in 1944-46, earning the Asiatic Pacific Theater Service Medal, the American Theater Service Medal, the Philippine Liberation Ribbon, and the Victory Medal. Enchanted by Seattle while stationed at a naval base there, Alvin enrolled under the G.I. Bill at the University of Washington, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering in 1950. After a brief stint as an engineer with the City of Seattle Department of Public Works, Alvin embarked on a distinguished career as an aerospace engineer with the federal government, serving for nearly four decades with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Seattle and Los Angeles, and at the NASA Lewis Research Center in Cleveland from which he retired in 1989. Among Alvin’s proudest accomplishments were his contributions to the Distant Early Warning Line (DEW Line) and to the Mariner, Viking, Voyager I, and Voyager II inter-planetary exploration missions. At the time of Alvin’s death, Voyager I had logged nearly 15 billion miles over 45 years of space travel and continued to transmit valuable data to deep-space tracking antennas on Earth. In short, Alvin’s career was a remarkable story of the triumph of intelligence, determination, and hard work over adversity. Having been raised on a farm lacking electricity and indoor plumbing, having served in war, and using paper, pencil, and slide rule, Alvin designed technology that helped vault spacecraft beyond the edge of our solar system!
Alvin was a devout child of God. Raised in the Church of the United Brethren, he remained a lifelong member of that denomination as it merged with others into the Evangelical United Brethren Church and, eventually, the United Methodist Church. Alvin served faithfully in local congregations across three states as a Sunday school teacher, administrative board member, treasurer, and trustee. He was a member of Calvary United Methodist Church in Lakewood for more than 50 years--chairing that congregation’s centennial celebration in 2012; more recently, he transferred his membership to Brecksville United Methodist Church. Alvin often spoke of how the wonders and the scale of the universe, as revealed by the exploration of outer space, confirmed for him the existence and majesty of God. In daily living, Alvin unfailingly practiced charity, generosity, grace, patience, and humility, a gentle and authentic witness of Christian discipleship to his family and many others.
Alvin and his first wife raised seven children in Seattle, Los Angeles, and Lakewood. He married Lois Eleanor (Chaffee) Hahn on September 2, 1989. During their years together, Alvin and Lois traveled the world, visiting all 50 states and 59 foreign countries on seven continents, usually by cruise ship and often with friends from home. Highlights included walking with penguins, wading ashore onto Antarctica from a Zodiac, crossing the Arctic Circle, and taking a 62-day trans-Pacific cruise. Alvin and Lois paid countless visits to children and grandchildren across the country, attended dozens of graduations and weddings across the generations, and
wintered over more than a decade in Fort Myers and Phoenix. While home, they enjoyed family outings, breakfast with friends on cold winter mornings at Joe’s Deli in Rocky River, and summer evenings on their spacious back deck. They frequently hosted backyard cookouts replete with Lake Erie perch, burgers and brats, and homemade pies.
Alvin was preceded in death by his loving wife of 31 years, Lois Eleanor (Chafee) Hahn; parents, Carl William Hahn, Sr. and Minna Katherine (Ungethuem) Hahn; brother John Frederick Hahn; and son-in-law Aimen A. Rizk. Alvin is survived by beloved brother Rev. Carl William Hahn, Jr. (Marilyn) and sister Rose Ann Caroline Sargent (Maurice); and children Kenneth (Glenda), Dr. Philip (Suzanne), Katherine Asbeck (Richard), Patricia Minden (Peter), Karen Rizk (Dr. David Piraino), Dr. Peter (Cathy), and David (Erika). Alvin was cherished as a grandfather by Anna Fickle (Joshua), Krista Blumenberg (Dr. Adam), Benjamin Hahn (Michelle), Cory Hahn, Paul Hahn (Ashley), Dr. Hilary Seals (Chase), Dr. Mark Hahn (Dr. Emily), Kaitlin Rizk, Nicholas Hahn (Naila Martinez), Alexander Hahn, Jessica Bielstein, Kevin Schoolcraft (Tracy), Michelle Minden, Benjamin Minden, and David Minden; as a great-grandfather by William Hahn, Rachel Fickle, Thomas Fickle, Leo Blumenberg, Savannah Hahn, Aimen Seals, Erica Shockey, Gabriella Schoolcraft, Jackson Schoolcraft, Madison Hartley, Mason Minden, and Ryder Minden; and as a great-great-grandfather by Zeke Bielstein.
The family will host calling hours on Thursday, March 30 from 4-7 pm and on Friday, March 31 from 10-11 am in the Chapel at Sunset Memorial Park, 6265 Columbia Road, North Olmsted. The funeral will be in the Chapel on Friday at 11 am, followed by a luncheon for all guests. Memorial gifts may be made to Calvary United Methodist Church, Brecksville United Methodist Church, or Camp Wanake in Beach City, Ohio.
Alvin’s family wishes to acknowledge the team of dedicated professionals at American House in Macedonia and at Crossroads Hospice who provided Alvin generous and compassionate care during his final months.
We will miss Alvin’s love, faithfulness, gentleness, and steadiness. “To God Be the Glory . . .”
Webcast Link: http://webcast.funeralvue.com/events/viewer/86448/hash:94E0E8A8E84818A9
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