Frances HANNA

FRANCES HANNA With great sadness, we announce the passing of Frances Hanna (nee Gerhardt) at the Brantford General Hospital on Saturday, February 5, 2011 at age 67 years. Much loved wife, best friend and colleague of Bill Hanna. Also survived by step-daughter Catherine Matheson and her husband Mike of California, and step-son Philip of Vancouver. Dear sister-in-law of Susan and David Logan, Donald and Lesley Hanna. Frances will be mourned and missed by friends and by colleagues in the literary world. Frances Hanna, managing director of Acacia House Publishing Services Ltd., was an honours graduate of University College, Toronto (Modern Languages & Literatures; French, English, Slavic Studies), who began her publishing career in London, England in 1969 as Assistant Fiction Editor working with Christopher Maclehose at Barrie & Jenkins. Subsequently, she worked as an agent at the John Farquharson literary agency and part-time as a bookseller, then as Executive Editor for Walter Parrish International, a UK book packager. In 1973, Frances became a senior commissioning editor for Sonny Mehta (now Publisher of Alfred A. Knopf, New York) at Pan Books in London. In 1976 she returned to Canada to become the Condensed Books Editor (working in English and French) for Reader's Digest in Montreal. In 1982 she moved to Toronto to become senior editor and foreign rights manager at William Collins Sons & Company (now Harper Collins). In 1985 she founded Acacia House, also qualifying as a Canada Council accredited translator. In 2006 Frances and Bill moved to Brantford, Ontario. Frances will also be remembered as an avid cat lover. Friends are invited to attend a Memorial Celebration of Frances's life on Saturday, February 12, 2011 at 2:30 p.m. at McCLEISTER FUNERAL HOME 495 Park Rd. N. Brantford, Ont. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to the Canadian Cancer Society, or the S.P.C.A. would be gratefully appreciated. McCLEISTER 519-758-1553 www.mccleisterfuneralhome.ca