Patricia Hannon

CHAMPAIGN - Patricia Claire Hannon died Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, at Meadowbrook Green House West in Urbana, with her family by her side. She was 86 years old.

Friends may greet the family at a visitation from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16, at Owens Funeral Home, 101 N. Elm St., Champaign. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 17, at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church, 501 W. State St., Mahomet, with inurnment immediately following at St. Joseph's Cemetery, Ivesdale. Friends and family are then invited to a Celebration of Life from 12:30 to 3 p.m. Saturday at Silvercreek restaurant, 402 N. Race St., Urbana.

Patricia was born in 1936, the third of four children to Francis and Loretta Coffey. She attended Holy Cross School and Champaign High School, graduating in 1954. She married Bruce Hannon in 1956. He survives.

She studied art at the University of Illinois and later became a registered nurse after graduating from the Parkland College nursing program, with four teenagers at home. For years, she worked tirelessly in Cardiac Care at Mercy Hospital in Urbana and eventually left that work to become a farm manager and caregiver to her father and her grandchildren. 

She was a member of Holy Cross Catholic Church for most of her life. She shared her faith with family and friends by telling stories of saints and everyday miracles. She was a forward-thinking parent who was involved in the organization of the first Montessori school in the area and was also instrumental in creating the Committee to Save Allerton Park with her husband, Bruce.

She was a wonderful Nana to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, who lit up her days when they would visit. Her home was their comfort with its magical fairy gardens, soft furniture and always-full cookie jar.

In addition to her husband of 66 years, Bruce Hannon of Champaign, Patricia is survived by three children, Claire (Brian) Deal, Laura (Scott) Madden, and Brian (Rhonda Starkey) Hannon; seven grandchildren, Caitlin (Derek) Peterson, John Deal, Ellen (Joe) Saathoff, Sean (Regina) Madden, Ben (Genevieve) Madden, Tyler (Camille) Starkey, and Logan (Megan) Hannon; and eight great-grandchildren, Violet, George, Mae, Richard, Frederick, Lincoln, Kennedy and one on the way!

She was preceded in death by a son, Christopher, in 1993, and three sisters, Mary Joan Coffey, Rosemary Coffey and Kathleen McDaniel.

Our mother was especially fond of the Cursillo program and mission, and we request that any donations in her name be sent to either Eastern Area Cursillo Community, P.O. Box 7043, Champaign, IL 61826-7043, or Allerton Park via the University of Illinois Foundation at uif.uillinois.edu.