Pam Hannah 1943-2024
Some individuals lead a life of quiet service to others, spreading joy and providing assistance to those in need whenever possible. Such a person was Pamela Morris Hannah, who passed away Wednesday, May 22, following a lengthy battle with acute leukemia. Pam, who along with her husband, Larry, was a longtime Boca Grande resident, was 81 years old.
Pam began making her mark on our tiny island community shortly after she and Larry bought a home in Boca Bay, where they lived for twenty-eight years. Her first volunteer job involved working playground duty at the Day Care Center. “The teachers were grateful for a break, and I loved playing with the kids. It’s rather shocking now to see some of them all grown up and working on the island,” she recalled recently.
In the following years, she assisted the late Dee Wheeler at the Community Center with the annual Halloween Party and the Easter Egg Hunt. She enjoyed helping former Boca Grande resident Carol Lindenbaum, who had started an after-school club that allowed girls to bring their favorite dolls to “tea parties.” She also was a co-leader of a ladies non-denominational Bible study for many years.
About twenty years ago, Pam started taking art lessons and became involved with the Boca Grande Art Center, displaying and selling her pieces at the seasonal shows. She was a member of the Las Pintoras Art Studio, where several well-known local artists worked together in a large room on the second floor of the former railroad depot.
Pam was an integral part of the United Methodist Women’s organization at the Boca Grande Lighthouse United Methodist Church. She served as its president and played major roles in the annual Strawberry Festival held every March to raise money for area women and children in need. She and Larry also joined other church members as volunteers at the Charlotte County Homeless Center.
Pam was born Sept. 30, 1943 in Indianapolis, Indiana, to Douglas J. and Catharine B. Morris. A brother, Whitney W. Hill, preceded her in death. She was graduated from North Central High School in 1961 and then studied elementary education at Indiana University, where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1965 and was a member of Delta Gamma sorority. It was shortly after graduation that she and Larry were married.
While their two children were growing up, Pam felt she was fortunate to be able to be a stay-at-home mom. However, she was not at home too often. She served as a Girl Scout leader and taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church in Carmel, Indiana. She was the booster club chair for her son’s football team at North Central High School. As a member of the Junior League of Indianapolis, she led nature walks through Eagle Creek Preserve on Indianapolis’ westside.
Both Pam and Larry were active in the Young Life organization in Indianapolis, which involves working with teenagers and is affiliated with the Methodist Church. Pam set up a junior high school bible study that met before school, and then took the middle-schoolers skiing in Michigan and to King’s Island Park in Ohio at the end of the school year.
She remained a member of the Indianapolis Day Nursery Auxiliary, which was started in 1899, and now operates under the name of Early Learning Indiana. She also taught two years at the former Larue Carter Hospital for the severely mentally ill, where her mother was the personnel director.
Over the years, Pam particularly relished the fellowship of her former North Central classmates and her many friends in Boca Grande. She enjoyed gardening, biking, boating and playing Mahjongg.
“My family, faith, and friends have been my most treasured gifts, and I thank each of you for sharing your gift of time: your love, prayers, and, most of all, the many wonderful shared memories,” she recently wrote. “In recent months, I had time to relive some of those memories as I went through photo albums, journals, and the many notes and cards you all sent. Each was a blessing.”
Pam is survived by her husband, Larry J. Hannah; daughter, Laura A. Holden (John) and their two children, Whitney Grace and Lucas William; son, Joseph J. Hannah (Kathryn) and their two children, Lucy Hart and Jackson Whitney.
A memorial service will be held at the Boca Grande Lighthouse Methodist Church in November.
