Richard John Hanley

His teenaged children tried to sink into the pavement when Dick Hanley did a little dance in front of a historic monument. They had seen these bouts of exuberance before. But in the middle of the street? That dance, and the love of life it symbolized, will live on in the hearts of his family, now that Richard John Hanley has passed away due to complications of Alzheimer’s. He died on Aug. 17, 2020, at 89. He was a businessman, health-care consultant, community volunteer and good friend. Born on Sept. 22, 1930, in Toledo, Ohio, he chose to stay in his hometown his whole life, and he spent much of his time and energy making it a better place. “I have always felt strongly about the need to give back to my family, to my community and to my church some of what they have given to me,” he said in a commencement address to the University of Toledo College of Business in 1984. “Each of us, whether you be from my generation, from your generation, or from those generations that you will create, should try to leave this world just a little better place than we found it.” Dick was the third of six children of Harold Hanley, a lawyer, and Helen Hanley, a homemaker. He was a graduate of Gesu School; DeVilbiss High School (1948), where he played varsity football; and the University of Toledo, where he received a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1954. He was a charter member of Nu Chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity at UT. He began a 36-year tenure with Owens-Illinois when he accepted a part-time job as a messenger and mailroom clerk in 1949. When he retired in 1985, he was vice president of human resources planning and policy. Along the way, he served as director of industrial relations for the Libbey Glass Division, director of personnel/industrial engineering for the Consumer Technical Products Group, and corporate director of personnel administration. In 1985, he established Dick Hanley Associates, a health-care consulting firm, to assist private-sector employers and health-insurance and health-care providers with strategies to deal with costs and benefit provisions. Though he was a successful businessman, family trumped all for Dick. After meeting Ruth D. Broghan in high-school English class, they married in 1952 and built a life that revolved around family. Both came from humble beginnings and devoted themselves to making a good life for their six children. A priority was travel, and they saved to take the family on memorable summer vacations. Sometimes Dick took on more than he could handle, as when he rented an RV to tour national parks out West. But even bad situations often were salvaged by his sense of humor, and many of the trips became legends in family folklore. Dick and Ruth visited Hong Kong, Austria, Ireland, Greece and many other countries, often accompanied by one or more of their children. They met Pope John Paul II twice during trips to Rome and finally achieved a lifelong dream of visiting the Holy Land in 2011. When grandchildren arrived, Dick and Ruth generously paid for family vacations on cruises, to Disney World, and to their annual retreat at Capon Springs, W.Va. They shared many happy times with family at a second home on the shore of Lake Erie, where Dick learned to skipper a boat during numerous fishing excursions. He looked forward to joining his son and later his grandsons on fishing trips in the wilderness of Canada. Dick was a heck of a hearts player, loved going to the casino and was always game to try new things. He was an avid supporter of all things Toledo, from the Mud Hens to the zoo. He was a diehard fan of the University of Toledo Rockets and attended football games in any and all weather. He served as president of the UT Alumni Association and received the Blue “T” Award for service in 1968. He was a longtime member of Christ the King Catholic Church. Dick was once described as a “hard-working community ‘handy man.’“ If his help was needed, he answered the call. He even served as interim director of the Toledo Humane Society, despite the fact he was not a dog person. In 1998, through his longtime involvement with Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center, Dick was appointed chairman of the board of Covenant Health Systems in Lexington, Mass., the first layperson to hold that position. While he volunteered with numerous organizations and received numerous honors through the years, in 2001 he received the award of which he was perhaps most proud: the St. Marguerite d’Youville Humanitarian Award from the Sisters of Charity of Montreal, known as the Grey Nuns. The Grey Nuns, who established Covenant Health Systems, were founded by St. Marguerite in 1737, and the award was established in 1991 to mark her canonization. In presenting the award, Sister June Ketterer, the Grey Nuns provincial superior, said, “Dick is a man of deep faith who trusts in God’s presence with him. He is compassionate, mission-driven and optimistic as he is confronted with new challenges to the care of the poor. Dick has been blessed with a great sense of humor that puts everything in perspective. His commitment to live life with respect and dignity, peace and integrity, are exemplary.” Dick is survived by his beloved wife and their children: Ruth Hanley (Jeff Seever) of Baltimore, Ohio; Marcia (John) Myers of Cedar Rapids, IA; Karen Connors (Alan Rehmar) of Columbus, Ohio; Sarah (Tim) Croak of Toledo; Rick (Amy) Hanley of Summit, N.J.; and Susan (Shawn) Rooney of Toledo; 18 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. He also is survived by a sister, Joan Klear-Caprio of Ocala, Fla. He was preceded in death by his parents; a newborn son; three brothers, Harold, Joseph and Donald Hanley; and a sister, Patricia Weiss. A private funeral Mass for Dick will be held at 12:00 p.m. at Christ the King Church on Aug. 20, 2020. Live streaming of eulogies will begin at the funeral home at 11:00 a.m. and resume at 12:00 p.m. for the funeral Mass. To view the live streams go to Dick's profile page at walkerfuneralhomes.com and click on his tribute wall. A celebration of his life will be planned at a later date. Donations in his memory may be made to the Richard and Ruth Hanley Scholarship for Mercy College through the Mercy Health Foundation, 2525 Cherry St., Toledo, Ohio, 43608, or to a charity of your choice.