Donald Francis Hanak

Donald Francis Hanak, 86, of Highlands Ranch passed away unexpectedly with family by his side on Monday, January 20, due to heart complications. His son, Michael Hanak (Katherine), Daughter Andrea Clouser (Monte), and son Daniel Hanak, will miss him dearly. He is survived by his children, ten grandchildren and five great grandchildren. His grandchildren are Kendall Hanak, Karson Hanak, Kailey Hanak, Casey Longo, Megan Hanak, Kassie Spannaus, David Hanak, Taylor Hanak, Samantha Hanak and Madison Jones. Don was a retired Jefferson County Sheriff Deputy and avid outdoorsman who grew up in the Denver area. He has now joined his parents, Fred and Zella, and his wife, Kathleen, in heaven.

A Funeral Mass will be held on Friday April 4th at 10:30 AM at St. Mark Catholic Church in Highlands Ranch followed by a reception. A service at Fort Logan National Cemetery will be held the same day at 2 PM.

Donald Francis Hanak was born at Saint. Anthony Catholic Hospital in Denver, Colorado, on a Sunday in 1938, three days after Thanksgiving Day. His mother, Zella Bowman Hanak, and father, Fred Hanak, were native to the Denver area. Fred was in the military, and after his service, he, Zella and Don lived in the housing at Fort Logan Army Post prior to its closure in 1946. Zella and Fred, while not practicing Catholics, enrolled Don at Saint Louis Catholic Elementary School in Englewood.

After moving to Denver, Don attended Saint Joseph Grade School. There he first met the love of his life, Kathleen Allan. He heard that Kathy was planning on continuing to attend Saint Joseph in High School and approached his parents about wanting to do the same. By this time in Don’s life, Fred, himself a good athlete, had exposed Don to various sports, and Don was already making a name for himself in the sporting community. So, Fred and Zella’s decision to allow Don to attend St. Joe’s, a school known for its strong athletic and academic programs, wasn’t too difficult. Don was one of the few athletes who lettered in three different sports -- baseball, football and basketball -- during each of his years at St. Joe’s. Don and Kathy graduated from high school in 1957 and married less than a year later.

Following in the footsteps of his father, Don enlisted in the Army in 1960 and was stationed at Fort Eustis in Newport News, Virginia, where he and Kathy lived during his service. Though Don was an Army mechanic, he spent much of his time playing baseball as a starting pitcher on the Fort Eustis Wheels, a team of enlisted men and some professional athletes playing against other military traveling teams. This experience led Don to a brief stint as a semi-professional baseball player after his time in the Army. While Don did not see combat during his time in the military, he was very proud of his service and, in his later years, joined various causes helping veterans.

After an honorable discharge from the Army, Don returned home to Denver with Kathy. Don, who had many civilian careers throughout his life, began his first as a mechanic for his father-in-law, Clarence Allan, at Rickenbaugh Cadillac. It was also during this time that Don and Kathy decided to start a family. In 1963, they bought a house in the newly developed community of Green Mountain in Lakewood. Shortly afterward, they welcomed their first son, Michael. Their daughter, Andrea, followed the next year and Daniel joined the family in 1970. Don and Kathy thrived raising their family in the mid 60s and 70s and were actively involved as Catholic parishioners at Saint Jude Parish, later moving to Christ on the Mountain Parish when it was built in 1978.

After nearly two decades of working as an auto mechanic, Don decided it was time to try something different. His outgoing style was well suited for sales, and he enjoyed almost 10 years of working in insurance among other similar sales positions. However, it wasn’t until the mid-1980s that Don found true fulfillment in a law enforcement career as a proud Jefferson County Sherriff Deputy. He kept that role until the maximum allowable age of 65. Don didn’t stop though; he continued to work mostly in security until he was almost 80.

Don was an engaged husband, father and grandfather; He adored his family and was always present in their lives. Whether it be attending a sporting event, coaching a team, or enjoying the outdoors with them, Don was able to adapt his interests to align with those of his family. He was famous within his family for his numerous “Dadisms.”. Those included everything from “That ain’t going anywhere” after tying down a load on his truck to “If you have the right tool, it makes any job easy.” Later in life he embraced “It is what it is” and used it so frequently that he customized it to simply “it’s what it is.” Yes, Don had a treasure trove of idiosyncrasies that would make the characters on the Progressive Insurance - -how not to be your parents--commercials, proud. His family would tease him about his never-ending number of hobbies, hundreds of fishing poles and -- like a dog marking his territory -- his trademark spot of green paint applied to all of his tools and belongings. Don laughed with his family and took it all in stride. Don also had a sweet tooth and not so surprisingly asked for a root beer float only a few hours before his passing.

After Kathy passed in 2017, Don sold his house in Lakewood and enjoyed his independence, living in Highlands Ranch and at the historic Rooney Ranch in Morrison. Don found love and companionship again in his life with his girlfriend of four years, Jimmie Logan. In September, Don moved into the Highlands Ranch home of his son Michael and daughter-in-law Katherine.

Don passed away unexpectedly with family by his side on Monday, January 20, due to a pulmonary embolism and heart complications. His son, Michael (Katherine), daughter Andrea (Monte), and son Daniel, will miss him dearly. He is survived by his children, 10 grandchildren and five great grandchildren. His grandchildren are Kendall Hanak, Karson Hanak, Kailey Hanak, Casey Longo, Megan Andersen, Kassie Spannaus, David Hanak, Taylor Hanak, Samantha Hanak and Madison Jones.

Don will be buried at Fort Logan National Cemetery, the same area where he lived and played as a child. His family is honored to have been such an important part of his life and he has now joined his parents, his wife, and other family and friends in heaven. God bless you Don and give thanks, just as we did during the time in which you were born—may we have a joyful reunion in heaven.