Herbert D. Hannum, Jr. passed away on March 15, 2021. He was born October 12, 1923, in Jefferson – Ashtabula County, Ohio, to Herbert D. and Cora (Pinks) Hannum.
His father was a two-term Ashtabula County Sheriff 1923-1927 after having been Chief Deputy from 1910-1923. Mr. Hannum was employed as County Detective and Probation Officer from 1927-1930 when he joined Cleveland Electric Illuminating as Chief of the Property Protection Division retiring in 1952. His Grandfather, William Pinks, was a Director of the Middlefield Banking Company, Middlefield, Ohio, as it commenced business September 6, 1901, and became an Ashtabula County Commissioner from 1920-1922.
The historic and beautiful Octagon house in Windsor, Ohio, owned by William and Addie (Lampson) Pinks, sat on one of the finest farms in Ashtabula County. Herb Jr. was born at 25 W. Walnut St. and grew up in that house in Jefferson. He graduated in 1941 from Jefferson High School as Vice-President of his senior class. When he was 6 years old, his parents took him to Cleveland to see the 1929 National Air Races and he was especially excited to see Charles Lindbergh in a parade down Euclid Avenue. After graduation, he led his own orchestra and was playing at The Swan in New Lyme when he was offered a position to travel in the U.S. with the nationally known Charlie Agnew band as a Drummer.
World War II offered him another opportunity. He joined the Army and trained at Fort Eustis, Virginia, Camp Polk, Louisiana, and then to the Army camp at Fort Dix, New Jersey, awaiting orders. He shipped out from the Port of New York on the Queen Mary, outfitted as a troop ship, to eventually dock in Scotland. He served with the 386 Anti-aircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion in the European Theatre and received 5 battle stars for the battles of Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Central Europe and Ground Combat. After the war, he was a Drummer with an Army Air Force Show Band in Europe.
He earned a B.A. degree in 1949 and a B.S. degree in 1950 from Ohio University and received the University Fund Award for Independent Study. He was initiated into the Kappa Kappa Psi National Band Fraternity. He was an Industrial Engineer with McCall Printing Company, Dayton, Ohio; Chief Industrial Engineer for McCall Mid-Atlantic Division in Glendale, Maryland. At the close of that plant, he returned to Dayton to eventually become Chief Industrial Engineer for Dayton Press (formerly McCall Corp). When Dayton Press closed, he joined Standard Register Company and retired in 1996 as Senior Industrial Engineer.
He was preceded in death by sister, Dorris O’Neill of Jefferson, Ohio; brother Cecil Hannum of New York; and brother-in-law, Larry Woolery. He is survived by wife, Barbara (Woolery) Hannum; son Gary; stepdaughter, Susan; grandchildren; great-grandchildren; nieces and nephews. There will be no services at Herbert’s request. Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.gebhartschmidtparramore.com