Longtime Wenatchee resident, Gary Thomson Hannon, died suddenly on July 22, 2010, in Central Washington Hospital after a brief illness. He will be greatly missed by Corinne Hannon, his wife of 54 years; his four sons, Robert, Brent (Sheila), Jeff (Jo Ann) and Douglas (Kari); and his seven grandchildren, Jeff and Jo Ann's daughter, Alisa, Brent and Sheila's daughters, Zoe and Phoebe, and Douglas and Kari's children, Katherine, Julia, Marie and Nathaniel. He will also be deeply missed by his many friends, former colleagues, and other relatives.

Generous of spirit, warm of heart, and quick to laugh, Gary will be remembered with great love. He was a good friend, a kind father, a loving husband and a fun-loving grandfather. His character was compassionate and modest, and the hallmarks of his personality were enthusiasm, a lifelong love of learning, a passion for physical activity, and a desire to spend time with his family.

Gary was born in Vancouver, B.C. on May 21, 1931, and graduated from the University of Alberta School of Medicine in 1957. He and his growing family moved to Seattle in 1962, where he attended the University of Washington as a Pathology resident. In 1968, the Hannons moved to Wenatchee, where Gary was employed as a Pathologist at Wenatchee Valley Clinic until his retirement in 1995.

Like many in his generation, Gary was active in the community. He served on the board of Cashmere Valley Bank from 1985 to 2003, and he was active in the Apple Blossom Festival, Boy Scouts, Babe Ruth Baseball, and the Wenatchee Valley Clinic. He was a fixture at St. Luke's Church, which he and his family regularly attended.

A longtime sports fan, Gary loved the Tour de France and the Montreal Canadiens, and in particular, the Washington Huskies. He and Corinne held season tickets for more than 40 years, and they seldom missed a Husky football game.

Gary also had a great love of learning and an inquisitive mind. He read literature, poetry, essays, science books, newspapers, magazines and trivia columns with equal enthusiasm. His special interests were geology, biology, and the natural world, but essentially, he was interested in everything.

Cycling was another of his passions. Gary began biking to work in the 1960s, and remained an enthusiastic cyclist all his life. He participated in the Seattle to Portland bike ride many times, and was making plans to do so once again in 2011. He and Corinne cycled together in Utah, France, Ireland, England, Germany and a number of other places.

Gary was also one of the first to hoist a heavy, old-fashioned aluminum frame backpack and hike into the Cascade Mountains, often with his wife and four young boys in tow. He and his family and friends climbed Mt. Rainier, Mt. Adams, Glacier Peak, and other Cascade summits, and together, they trekked many Cascade trails.

Gary Hannon was many things: enthusiastic Republican, baseball coach, churchgoer, devout Christian, and devoted husband, father, grandfather, and friend. He will long be remembered, and those memories will always be cherished.

Services will be held at St. Luke's Episcopal Church on Wednesday, July 28, at 11:00 a.m. No flowers please. Memorials to St. Luke's Church Memorial Fund.