Jonathan Gilbert Hanke

AMHERST —Jonathan Gilbert Hanke, 84, of Amity Place, Amherst, died peacefully at home under hospice care on March 24, 2013, from pancreatic cancer.       

Jono was born April 16, 1928, in Beirut, Lebanon, the son of Kate (Gilbert) Hanke and Lewis U. Hanke, who at that time was an instructor at the American University in Beirut.      

He served with the U.S. Coast Guard from 1946 to 1948 and graduated from SwarthmoreCollege in 1950. He also attended the School of International Affairs at Columbia University, where he met his wife, Sarah Bond Hanke, during her senior year at Barnard College. They were married in Beacon, New York, a year later on September 13, 1952. 

He is survived by Sarah and their three daughters: Dr. Barbara Hanke of Paris, France, and her husband Rodney Rempel, Laura Hanke of Yantis, Texas, and her husband Andrew Sciabarassi, and Genevra Hanke of Amherst and her partner Michael Reid; and grandchildren Austin Rempel, Will Rempel, Nathan Tofsted, and Samuel Tofsted. He is also survived by a brother, Peter, of Austin, Texas; sisters Susan Abouhalkah of Burton, Texas, and Joanne Schwarz of Bethesda, Maryland; and 10 nieces and nephews. His family will miss his compassion, kindness, and wisdom, and the thoughtful perspective he always brought to any situation. 

He retired to Amherst after a 25-year career with the Central Intelligence Agency. He and his family served in five Latin American countries for over 15 years.      

Jono was a member of Grace Episcopal Church in Amherst, where he was at one time Senior Warden and later Treasurer, and was also a long-time participant in the Friday morning Men’s Group. At various times he was also on the Grace Church Greening Committee, Brother Lawrence Guild, Episcopal Peace Fellowship, Outreach and Mission Commission, and Finance Commission. He was treasurer of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts for two years in the 1980s. 

He volunteered for a number of years at Western Mass Legal Services in its Holyoke and Northampton offices, the Amherst Survival Center, Not Bread Alone soup kitchen, and as a Trustee and President of the Amity Place Condominium Association in Amherst. He also acted as a legal and medical advocate for a number of disabled men in Amherst. 

He was a long-time member of the Five College Learning in Retirement Program, and during his association with them served on the Council, the Curriculum Committee, the Great Decisions organizing committee, and the Computer Circle, helping make computers more accessible and useful to other members of LIR. He also served as President from 2004 to 2005. 

A memorial service will take place on Friday, April 19, 2013, 2:00 PM at Grace Episcopal Church, 14 Boltwood Avenue, Amherst. Interment will be private. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Amherst Survival Center, the Amherst ABC House, or other charity of the donor’s choice. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Douglass Funeral Home. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com

Service details, Social networking, Memorial Guestbook and Slideshow are available here.