Stephen Ward Hannaman

1959 - 2025

Stephen Ward Hannaman was the seventh child born in a family of eight children to parents Robert Harrison and Patricia Brady Hannaman of San Antonio, Texas. He graduated from Alamo Heights High School in 1979. He passed quietly at 66 years of age on May 30, 2025 in Austin, Texas.

For 35 years in Austin, Stephen served the students at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired with remarkable dedication, rarely missing a day. His gift lay not in words but in touch and presence. Through his patient, skilled hands, he taught tactile sign language to deaf-blind children, creating bridges of understanding in their profound isolation. His care extended beyond the classroom. Stephen drove students to appointments, led them on peaceful walks, and had a special ability to calm distressed children with his gentle presence. As a teacher's aide, he stepped in wherever needed, always ready to help. His compassion spoke volumes where words were not needed.

A private soul with an adventurous heart, Stephen sought out the remote and untraveled corners of Hawaii, Mexico, and Guatemala. His journeys were sometimes epic in scope, including two years living in an alternative community deep in the jungles of Kauai, far from conventional society. Though he rarely shared stories of these experiences, those who knew him understood that these adventures shaped his unique perspective and enriched his inner world.

At family gatherings, Stephen's presence was felt in his own special way, through the music he played and the peaceful constancy of his being. He was the quiet observer, the steady presence, the one whose love was shown through actions rather than words.

Stephen is survived by his siblings: Mary Hannaman Romans, Mary Kathleen Geaccone, Mary Margaret Doss, Robert Anthony Hannaman, John Brady Hannaman, and Robert Harrison Hannaman Jr., along with many nieces and nephews. He now joins his beloved parents and his younger brother and erstwhile fellow traveler, Patrick Martin Hannaman.

Stephen will be remembered for living with purpose, for the many lives he touched through his patient interactions, and for showing that the deepest impacts are often made by the quietest souls.