DAVID HANRAHAN

HANRAHAN DAVID G. HANRAHAN David George Hanrahan, an innovative producer of films and live events, passed away at his home in Kensington, Maryland, on Monday, July 8, 2019. He was 69. The cause of death was esophageal cancer. Mr. Hanrahan was a visionary leader in the event and video production business for over 40 years. Together with brothers Tom and James, David founded Future View, Incorporated, one of the most highly-respected event design and video production companies in the nation. Its work included presidential inaugurations, civic celebrations, sports events and concerts. The company is known for its creative approach to event design, transforming "clients" into partners and changing the way they related to events. After Tom and James left the company in the late "80s, David continued to develop highly interactive presentation technologies, working with the Wall Street Journal, Educational Testing Service, Center for American Progress, the State of the World Forum, Georgetown University, the Bi-Partisan Policy Center, and the Peterson G. Peterson Foundation. David was born in Oak Park, Illinois to William J. Hanrahan and Helen Harris Hanrahan. His parents separated in 1955 and David and his brothers moved with their mother to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He began swimming with the Ft. Lauderdale Swimming Association, eventually becoming a two-time state high school champion in the 100-yard butterfly and qualifying for the 1968 Olympic Trials. Through swimming he learned perseverance - a trait which would define his character. After graduation from Princeton University, he moved to Washington, DC, with brothers Tom and James. A temporary job at a hi-fi store lead to working with Henry Kloss at the Advent Corporation. It was the beginning of the large screen revolution and David saw the opportunity to rent large screens. Future View was born. David was ahead of his time when it came to the use of video and media to entertain, educate, and inspire. Future View was the first company in the Washington area to make large screen video accessible for meetings large and small - from Monday night football in the corner bar to large corporate events in hotel ballrooms. In the 80's he saw the potential of mobile satellite dishes to create narrowcast networks that could be used to connect organizations and build communities. He developed Heads Up, one of the first such networks connecting child-care centers around the country. In 1995, David and the Future View team developed what he termed, a "video enabled set" that used blended, wide-screen projection to create moving backgrounds and immersive environments. The State of the World Forum in 2000, convened by Mikhail Gorbachev in conjunction with the U.N. Millennial Summit, featured 100-ft wide screen and 24-hour streaming-both revolutionary event features at the time but common today. In the next decade, Future View applied many of their content innovations, moving graphics and custom videos to the new world of LED. From the beginning David Hanrahan was a storyteller--whether it was on screens at a major event or sitting around the living room with friends. In his later years, he left the event production side of the business to focus on creating powerful documentary films, expanding on his passion for making a difference in the world. For the Educational Testing Service, Hanrahan created films that documented the company's vision and captured the global reach of its products and services. He traveled with camera-in-hand to Afghanistan to shoot a moving portrait of women's activist, Sakena Yacoobi; he spent time with people suffering from leprosy in India to document the story of Novartis and their commitment to eradicate the disease from India, and he journeyed into the Brazilian rainforest to capture the teachings of his spiritual advisor, Sri Prem Baba. History, philosophy, music, and travel were life-long passions of David's. An omnivorous reader, David's home office was continually stacked with books ranging from Soren Kierkegaard, to military campaigns during the Civil War and WWII, to transforming digital business models, to the poetry of 11th century Persia. If David didn't know something-whether about a new piece of software or the history of irrigation in Florida-he read about it. His adventurous spirit led him to take up white-water canoeing and exploring, which he pursued in locations as far-flung as the Yukon (Canada), Mozambique (Africa), Lake Baikal (former Soviet Union), and northern Pakistan. His taste in music was equally expansive, ranging from the classic rock of his youth to the meditative compositions from India. His life was not without challenges. He was 33 years clean and sober at the time of his death. An active member of the recovery community in Bethesda, many have said that he saved their lives. He was a generous and tough guide to those making the transition to sobriety. His storytelling skills, spirituality, and charisma made him a natural sponsor. Even as his health deteriorated, members of his recovery group came to his house for regular Wednesday night meetings. His last meeting was on the Wednesday before he died. Group members lifted him from his bed into a wheelchair so he could participate. First and foremost, David Hanrahan loved his family-his devoted wife of nearly 50 years, Chris; his sons Michael and Daniel, his daughter, Carolyn and his grandchildren, Adelaide and Ned. In his family, David found the unconditional love that filled his heart to the very end of his glorious life. He is survived by his wife Christine, daughter Carolyn and son Daniel of Philadelphia, son Michael and his wife Aimee Wadeson and their children Adelaide and Ned of Kensington, and brothers James and Tom of Annapolis and nieces and nephews Jon, Erica, Greg, Will, Garrett, Libby, Caitlin, Kevin, Brian, Brennan, Gemma, and Lena. A celebration of David's life will be held at the Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church, in Bethesda Maryland, September 8 at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Young Scholars' Institute, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth development organization in Trenton, N.J. Donations may be made via PayPal to info@youngscholarsoftrenton.org or mailed to YSI at 349 West State Street, Trenton, N.J. 08618. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Young Scholars' Institute, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth development organization in Trenton, N.J. Donations may be made via PayPal to info@youngscholarsoftrenton.org or mailed to YSI at 349 West State Street, Trenton, N.J. 08618.