Lawrence W. Hanagan

It is with profound sadness that we announce the death of our beloved father, stepfather, and granddad, Lawrence William Hanagan (“Larry”) who departed this world on March 4, 2024 due to complications of a sudden and aggressive infection. He was just 2 weeks past his 80th birthday.

Larry was born on February 16, 1944 in Washington, DC, as the only child of Lawrence Woodrow Hanagan and Jessie Helene Hanagan (nee Hawkins). The family soon moved to Silver Spring, MD where Larry became an impressive student athlete and played basketball for Dematha High School.

Larry was a graduate of St. Louis University and after a brief foray into law school, where he quickly determined he was not meant to become a lawyer, he went to work for the U.S. Navy as a Logistician (sorry, we don’t know what that means either). During his time with the Navy, he became well known for his “big brain” and his integrity; he was a respected mentor, valued by his peers and his bosses alike, and a trusted friend to all. It never took anyone long to realize that Larry had the best interests of everyone as his focus every single day. Larry spent the bulk of his career in Washington, DC, then in 1995 transferred to the base in Panama City, FL where he remained until he retired in 1998. Retirement led him to Littleton, Colorado for 12 years, where his oldest sons had settled, and where he enjoyed his new role as granddad, exploring the mountains, and cycling along the Platte River before returning to Maryland, where he lived for the past 6 years.

As a father, Larry shared his love of skiing, tennis and cycling with his children. You could find him on his bicycle well into his 70’s and he participated in the yearly American Diabetes Association’s Tour de Cure until the age of 74. He was an avid woodworker, creating many original pieces for his family and friends, and particularly enjoyed having his children join him in his woodshop. He had a passion for photography and was often designated the official photographer for family and friends’ weddings and parties; he could always be counted on to make sure a group photo was taken at any gathering, usually with much time and manual camera settings involved. As a grandfather, Larry passed down his love of cooking and baking to his grandchildren, spending many hours teaching them his favorite recipes. Larry was immensely proud of his Irish heritage and loved celebrating it whenever he could, whether it be wearing a kilt at his son’s wedding, listening to Irish music, or attending the St. Patrick’s Day parade each year. He also loved history and politics and was an active supporter of his local community, whether it was sponsoring a family over the holidays, supporting various philanthropic organizations, or canvasing for local political candidates.

Larry was the epitome of strength, integrity, and compassion, with a healthy dose of sarcastic wit. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and friend, whose impact on the lives he touched will never be forgotten. As many people have described him, he was, simply put, a “good human” who cared about others and cared about the world. He possessed a genuine interest in people and was always willing to lend a listening ear, offer a helping hand, or at the very least, employ his dry humor to lift your spirits.

Larry was predeceased by his parents and his wife of 25 years, Julie Unger. He is survived by his children Matthew Hanagan (Colleen Hanagan), Sean Hanagan (Kelly Hanagan), Sarah Biederman (William Biederman), Nathan Kershner (Libby Kershner) and his grandchildren Liam Hanagan; Natalie, Cassia and Jenna Biederman; Bryce, Ezra and Sage Kershner; and Connor and Maisie Hanagan. Though he may be gone from our sight, Larry will remain forever in our hearts. May he rest in peace, knowing he is deeply loved and dearly missed.

A celebration of Larry’s life will be held on Thursday, March 14, 2024 at Donaldson Funeral Home of Clarksville, P.A., 12540 Clarksville Pike, Clarksville, MD, 21029, with visitation from 10:00 am and a memorial service at 11:00 am.  In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, in honor of his late wife, or to The American Diabetes Association.

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