Albert James Hanners

Albert James Hanners, 96, died at the Silverado senior home in Bellingham, Wash., on June 23, 2013. He was born Nov. 18, 1916, in Knowles, Wis., the youngest of six children of Albert and Estella (Erhardt) Hanners. Al grew up on a rural dairy farm that had no electricity until he was six. He worked his way through college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and got a master's in geology in 1941. As chief geologist for Texaco, he was involved with oil exploration around the world. He met his future wife, Francis Purvis, in Washington, D.C., during World War II. They were married on Sept. 22, 1945. After retiring from Texaco, Al and Fran moved to Bellingham, Wash., in 1981, where Al pursued community service, beginning with a live radio show advising retirees on financial investments. He also got involved in local environmental issues and elections. He was a member of the North Cascades Audubon Society and wrote a popular book on birdwatching in Whatcom County. He wrote more than 200 articles for the Whatcom Watch and was named Watcher of the Year in 2002. He became active in the Washington Native Plant Society and was named a Fellow in 2002. In recognition of his community service and environmental activism, Al was given the 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award at the RE Sources Environmental Heroes Award Banquet. Al was preceded in death by his wife Fran; his daughter Constance; and his siblings Harvey, LaVerne, Warren, Vivian and Eleanor. He is survived by his three sons, Roger Hanners, of Seattle, Wash., Richard Hanners, of Columbia Falls, Mont., and Brian Hanners and his wife Kristin, of Seattle; granddaughter Mariana Foster, of Lynnwood, Wash.; grandson Shane Barbini and his wife Sibyl and their children Addison and Roman, of Logan, Ohio; son-in-law Lew Barbini, of Logan, Ohio. Al's body will be cremated. A celebration of life will take place at a later date.