Kenneth Hannegan

1945 - 2023

The Hannegan family is heartbroken to announce the passing of Kenneth Wayne Hannegan on the evening of Wednesday, October 18, 2023, at his home in North Tustin, California after a long and valiant fight with prostate cancer. Kenneth Wayne Hannegan (Ken) was born on March 28, 1945, in Los Angeles, California to parents Aloysious R. Hannegan and Lillian Anne Mack. As a young boy, Ken was active in his Catholic Church as an altar boy, and participated in the Boy Scouts, achieving the Order of the Arrow, the Ad Altare Dei emblem, and the Eagle Scout rank. He attended Junipero Serra High School and El Camino Junior College prior to joining the Gardena Police Department as a Reserve Officer in 1967. Ken graduated from the California Highway Patrol (CHP) Academy on March 20, 1968, with badge number #6809, and was stationed at the West Los Angeles CHP office until he was injured in a car accident while on patrol and was forced to retire due to disability on November 30, 1979. While he was a CHP Officer, Ken attended the Southwestern University School of Law on evenings and weekends, graduating with his Juris Doctorate in 1978. He was admitted to the State Bar of California (#86820) on May 31, 1979, and spent two years as an associate to other law firms before opening his own law practice in 1981, with an emphasis on workers' compensation and personal injury claims for CHP officers like himself. Over more than 40 years, his Law Offices of Kenneth W. Hannegan assisted thousands of police officers, firefighters, and other first responders and their families in their workers' compensation claims for injuries and deaths they suffered on the job. Ken was a devoted fan of the Anaheim Angels, holding season tickets since 1980 and never missing an away game shown on television. Ken was also a charter season ticket holder of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks and even traveled with the team on a preseason trip to Finland and Sweden. Ken was also an ardent motorcycle enthusiast, riding his Harley once to Sturgis and back, and completing the Three Flags run from Mexico to Canada along with multiple group trips to other locations. Ken was also a long-time member of the National Rifle Association and won several marksman awards over the years. Ken is predeceased by his parents, his brother Gordon, and his sister Dolores. He is survived by his wife of nearly 54 years, Barbara, and his two sons Bryan and Michael, three grandchildren Aiden, Alexa and Kathryn, countless friends and colleagues, and many cherished memories. Ken was the ultimate survivor, having previously beaten meningococcemia and esophageal cancer, in addition to dealing with degenerative disk disease and back pain resulting from his injuries as a CHP officer. Services will be held at St. Thomas More Catholic Parish in Irvine at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, November 15, 2023. For more information, please contact Bryan Hannegan at bryan.hannegan@gmail.com. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the CAHP Widows and Orphans' Trust Fund (https://www.thecahp.org/post/donate-cahp-widows-and-orphans-trust) to help honor Ken's years of service as a California Highway Patrolman and his subsequent support of those CHP officers who work to protect us every day.