John C - Dad

My Dad, John Calvin Hannes was born in Philadelphia on June 2, 1926. He was the 3rd of 4 children of Wilbert Hutchinson and Francis. Francis died when Dad was 6 and he was raised by family members as Wilbert did his best in rebuilding family life. He left high school with early graduation and joined the Army, serving on a tug boat in the Phillipines. Coming home he completed training through correspondence courses on electrical theory and electronics. Working for Rex Company and later for Honeywell he received training in industrial control electronics and systems. He built a career in field service, helping industrial customers with preventive maintenance and solving critical process control problems. He enjoyed the complexity of multiple input systems and the pleasure of overcoming the unknown to solve the problems. He was lauded for his dedication and thoroughness with customers.

This coming Tuesday, June 2, is the 83rd anniversary of his birth. He made his transition in March 2005 in the early morning hours as he contemplated his favorite place, Alaska. He had a deep thirst for knowledge and understanding and forms of adventure. An avid Ham radio operator, K3IUZ, he built his own radio set and we always had an unsightly antenna in the backyard. In his 40's, Dad wanted to build a house in the Poconos. We did that together over a period of 3 years and then moved from Bucks County to the backwoods of North Eastern PA. Also in that period he took up boating, first power and then sailing. He and mom took summer journeys to Long Island Sound with their 30 foot C&C, 'Misty'. Later they motor-sailed from the Hudson River south to Florida, where they retired.

Looking back at my father's life and all of his gifts and activities I now see a theme of coming to peace. When I was a kid I experienced him as an angry man. As he aged, retired, and worked with some health challenges he changed and mellowed greatly. He had an opening of the heart. After a stroke he moved from the focused and driven to the social joy and story teller. He played pool, joked and laughed with his grandsons.

Just a few weeks before his passing we visited him in Florida. This picture, taken by his grandson, Tim, captured the physical man adjacent to the blue sky that he enjoyed so much.

Engineering Minds

From my research the Hannes family came to the US from the Munich area in 1827. From handwritten census accounts, all of my male ancestors since that period have been mechanical, electrical and engineering oriented. My grandfather, Wilbert H. was self trained as an machinist, mechanical engineer and electrician. My father, John, and his brother Wilbert Charles (Bud) and his two sons continued in that tradition. Qualities of an engineering mind include (but are certainly not limited to) abstract thinking, creating logical constructions and having advanced problem solving skills. A new piece of technology represents the ultimate challenge of understanding and then application. I think this picture of says it all.

Baseball #1

Baseball is such a great metaphor for many aspects of life. This is post #1 on baseball. The game is fascinating as it combines the fierce competitiveness of the individual as pitcher, fielder or batter with the dynamics of team performance. Individual contributions helping teams meet their objectives.

All of my sons have played baseball. Joan's father, Ed played semi pro ball in the late 40's so perhaps it's genetic. Zach demonstrated great eye hand coordination before he was three. Ted is a fierce competitor. I coached him for a few years in little league. Tim has put a lot of time and effort into the game. While Ted and I were in Europe, or Zach and I were in Japan, Tim was traveling on baseball teams since he was 8. While Zach played little league, Tim played pickel between two trees along the first base side. Zach pitched and played infield (mostly 3rd), caught and did outfield duty in high school and summer leagues. Ted has always been a good infielder. Tim has done catching, some infield, and now pitches. This spring his college team went to Florida to train and play non-conference games. As a parent you get a lot of this view-

This weekend we're watching and web-monitoring the NCAA Division III mid-Atlantic playoffs. Tim's team didn't make it but he knows many players, either by reputation or having competed against them.

And of Course

Father is the yin to the yang of Mother. Both operating in our uniqueness and raising our children. Our back yard adjoins a woods / wetland and this spring I have witnessed more nature than other years. We have always seen birds and squirrels but this year the deer are close and a family of foxes (yes foxes) has taken up in one corner of the yard. On my 'One Forest...' blog you can see more of that. Seeking photos of the fox family I captured mother and son looking out. (click to enlarge) The clearness of the forefront, the fuzziness of the background- I captured beauty.

Moving Back for the Summer

With two sons on the way home for summer between college terms the speed of activity at the house is already increasing. The days of Joan and I sharing small creations or left overs for dinner have now been upscaled to 'what's for dinner? When are we going to eat?' It's all good. We've been through this many times and in many forms for the past 9 years.
So we're expanding our house. We're making room for books, clothes, pc's, monitors, stereos and whatever. The basement takes the big hit as it's the repository for homeless items. The washer and dryer have increased their on time. Over the next few weeks it will self organize, I'm sure.

Meet the Staff

It's history now. We had three sons within 7 years. Joan and I have raised and continue to honor the great young men who make up our family- Zach, Ted and Tim. Currently either graduated from University or with graduation in sight each man is gifted and unique. I'll not try to explain them as much as our experiences together, my musings and admiration.