NSO Board Member Brian Hanna

Brian Carberry Wittsitt Hanna died peacefully at his Seal Rock, Oregon home of a sudden heart attack on September 3, aged 81. Brian was active, curious and engaged until his last breath - remarkably undiminished by age. With an enduring faith in God and soft landings, he was an eternal optimist in life and will doubtless continue to be one in his new home.

Born in Holywood, Ireland, to loving parents Nora and Denis, Brian leaves behind a huge legacy of family and community impact. He is survived by his younger siblings Columb, Desmond, Eithne and Maeve, as well as their children; his first wife, Wendy Forsythe Roberts, their children, Leontyne and Sebastian, Grandchildren Mahalia, Alina, Owen, and in memory, Anika; the Forsythe, Bradley and Roberts families; his current wife, Milica Dedijer, and her family, Erik, Yasmina, Raven, Jacob, and Sasha, all of whom he grew to love deeply as his own.

A student and teacher at the Oxford School of Architecture in England, Brian later worked in Montreal, West Vancouver, and Abbotsford. He was a lifelong congregant of the Anglican and Episcopalian Churches, and a beloved member of St. Luke’s-by-the-Sea in Waldport. He served enthusiastically on the Board of the Newport Symphony Orchestra, was a Kiwanis member and president in British Columbia and Oregon, a Seashore Literacy Center volunteer, a member of Waldport Tuesday Writers, and an inimitable speaker whose sonorous voice was a fitting vehicle for sharing his kind thoughts and generous spirit. A lifelong lover of film, books and music, Brian was a warm friend, a delightful companion, and a loving and devoted son, father, and husband. We shall miss him immensely.

Celebration of Life services were held at 2PM Saturday, September 8 at Yachats Community Presbyterian Church, Yachats, OR. Charity designated in Brian’s memory: Seashore Family Literacy, PO Box 266, Waldport, OR 97394.