Harry Edward Hans III

1945 - 2021

Harry Edward Hans, III
March 15, 1945 - May 27, 2021
Boise, Idaho - Born on the Ides of March during wartime in the shipyard factory town of Camden, New Jersey, Harry Edward Hans the third began his life. The firstborn of Harry Jr. and Ruth, the family would eventually expand to a tight knit clan of seven siblings.
Shortly after his birth, the family moved to another factory town, this time in Lorain, Ohio, where Harry would spend most of his childhood. He loved sports and would play pickup baseball and football in the park across from his home on G street. He met his lifelong best friend and partner in crime there, Jim Gajdos, a neighbor who lived two doors down. Harry excelled at sports and was picked first for any team he played with. He was known as the fastest kid around and loved being both quarterback and wide receiver. He would point out the direction his baseball would travel and could outrun any defender after a football catch. Sports were his life and he loved telling stories of seeing the Browns' great, Otto Graham, in action or of Indians (as they were known) greats such as Bob Feller. Unfortunately, his speed was not enough to outrun a gang of bullies who cornered him in a barn one fateful day in 1957.
He would often recount the story of his shooting, how he lost his left eye and nearly his life. Being 12 years old at the time, it was a formative experience. He quite literally looked down the barrel of a rifle and it forever changed him. He was no longer viewed as the star athlete with tremendous potential - he was the one-eyed kid labeled disabled by the world. His legs were still fast, his mind still sharp, but in the late 50s and early 60s he faced a lot of discrimination. He was rejected and held back from multiple activities due to his "disability." He wasn't allowed to play high school sports, the thing he loved and wanted to do the most. He yearned to serve his country in the military and tried to join but they would not let him enlist. He was turned down for jobs because of how he looked or what it might mean for the company if they hired someone with only one eye. It was 1990 before disability discrimination laws were enacted.
He never liked that word - disability. He never wanted to be defined by his injury, though time and again he was told two eyes were necessary for depth perception in order to catch and throw a ball or judge the speed of an oncoming car. Rejections he faced forged a fire within to prove that label wrong. He was ABLE, and with a life well lived he proved it.
Harry graduated from Lorain High School in the spring of 1963 and spent one semester at Miami University of Ohio before returning home to Lorain. It was hard to hold down jobs due to his disability status and he was so impoverished during college that he would go days without a meal. Naturally tall and skinny, his family recalled him being emaciated when he dropped out and returned home to Lorain.
After landing a job at the Lorain waterworks, a coworker recommended he take the U.S. Postal service exam. He was good with people and wanted to serve his country and community in some way, so the Post Office seemed like a promising career. He passed the exam and began work as a clerk in the local Lorain Post Office. Soon after, he applied for and was accepted as a Letter Carrier, an occupation he cherished and held for more than 45 years.
Harry met the love of his life on a dark night in the spring of 1972. Donna was short and sweet, a southern belle with blond hair and a cute button nose. He lit up describing how they met and fell in love; they both knew their search was over. Their connection was deep and profound. As divorcees, they possessed the wisdom that's earned only through heartbreak, and they didn't need much time to decide what was next. Their courtship was quick, and they married in June of 1972. A 3-month courtship for a marriage that lasted over 48 years.
Their family soon expanded with their firstborn son, Todd. Soon after followed another son, Mark. Then the baby of the family was born, his pride and joy, a daughter, Heather.
His kids meant everything to him. When his eldest son was hospitalized multiple times for asthma due to the Ohio climate and environment, Harry knew the family needed to leave northeast Ohio.
Boise was a long way away from Lorain, both culturally and in distance. Harry had no family connection to Idaho, only his best friend Jim who had recently moved to the capital city in the late 1970s. Jim fell in love with Boise and told Harry about it. Harry initially rejected a move that was so far away from family and his beloved Cleveland Sports franchises. Nevertheless, Jim bought and paid for a plane ticket to fly Harry out to Idaho. In that short trip he too fell in love. He hoped the dryer climate might be good for his eldest, so it wasn't long before a moving truck was rumbling west in the winter of 1983.
Harry was recognized multiple times over the years for his service to the community. On at least two occasions he received official commendations for going above and beyond. In 1981, he provided shelter to a woman who had passed out on her porch and waited with her until paramedics arrived. Another time, he jumped off the paddle boats at Julia Davis Park to save a drowning boy. He was known to drop off food at the laundry mat near the NALC office for the homeless and less fortunate. He undertook leadership positions with the local NALC and for years was responsible for making sure they had the money to celebrate their retirees at Christmas and during the Summer. He was a regular volunteer to answer phone calls during the Jerry Lewis Labor Day telethons. He wasn't even beyond putting on clown makeup every Sunday morning to become "Huckleberry Harry" at Super Sunday School for the children of Central Assembly. He delighted in making children laugh and he was good at it, too. He acted in and directed multiple Christmas pageants and plays at Central that were seen by thousands at their peak. These are just a few examples of the rich life he led and the way in which he conducted himself. He never bragged about all the things he did for others because he didn't do those things to receive credit or attention, he did them because that's just who he was.
Harry continued to love sports and played softball throughout his adult and senior life. At times, he would lead the teams in hitting average and his favorite position was pitcher. His teams were almost always in the winner's bracket during tournaments and champions multiple times. Later in life, he fell in love with Bocce and helped found an alternative league at Ann Morrison Park. He won individual championships as well as team championships competing with folks half his age or younger. He never let his lack of an eye hold him back.
Harry was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2018 while on a trip to support his sister who had recently been diagnosed with cancer herself. He fought long and hard over the course of the last three years and passed away peacefully in his sleep in the early morning hours of May 27th, 2021 surrounded by family. In an act of honor by his son Mark who served in the United States Air Force, Harry was draped with an American flag as he departed his home for the final time.
He is survived by his loyal and devoted wife, Donna Hans of Meridian, Idaho; his children Todd Hans of Meridian, Idaho; Mark Hans (spouse, Jade) of Boise; and Heather Whittaker (spouse, Jacob) of Meridian. He will eternally cheer on and be missed by his grandkids – Aurora, Elijah, Grace, Halia, Andrew, Henry, Rose, and Hope. He will be missed deeply by his brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews – Shirley Enz of Florida; Rick Hans (spouse, Joyce) of Ohio; Nancy Pleus (spouse, Bob) of Florida; Don Hans (spouse, Diane) of Ohio; Terry Hans (spouse, Michelle) of Georgia; and Jacque Utz (spouse, Jeff) of Florida, along with all their kids and grandkids. His family away from family will help us remember all the good times – Scott Gajdos (spouse, Sadie) of Washington; Laura Arnold (spouse, Barry Trebelhorn) of Idaho, and their kids and grandkids.
A public celebration of life will be held at the Boise Riverside Hotel, 2900 W. Chinden Blvd. in Boise, Idaho, on Sunday, August 1st from 1:00pm – 5:00pm. He would want you to come as you are, stay as long or as little as you like, and have a good time. In lieu of flowers, please consider doing a random act of kindness for a stranger in his honor.