James Leonard Hannan was born November 8, 1932, in Baltimore, MD.  James was the eldest child of James J. Hannan and Catherine M. (Hoffman) Hannan.  After his mother's passing in 1944, James and his siblings, Joseph and Mary, were lovingly raised in the household of his maternal aunt, Dorothy (Hoffman) Kelm.  Throughout his entire life, James considered Jack Williams, Leo Kelm and Bernard Kelm to be his brothers and indeed, they were as close as brothers.

James attended St. Rose of Lima Primary School and Glen Burnie High School.  Following his graduation from high school, James enlisted in the United States Air Force.  His tour of service included more than two years stationed in Hawaii.  During that time, James took advantage of the opportunity to engage in correspondence courses, which enabled him to enter the University of Maryland, College Park, as an advanced student following his time in the Air Force.  At the University of Maryland, James was a member of the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity.

In addition to his degree from the University of Maryland, James also earned a Master's Degree from Cornell University and was enrolled for a time in the doctoral program at Michigan State University before taking a career position with the United States Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C.  James remained with the Department of Agriculture his entire working career and was instrumental in the establishment of many important programs such as the food stamp program, the school lunch program and the Women, Infant and Children program.

In 1958, James married Dorothy (Hawkins) Hannan, to whom he was married until her passing in 1989.  From 1990, James was a loving and devoted companion to Herma (Enderle) Lambros until her passing, at the age of 100, in late 2023.

James resided for many decades in Bowie, MD, where he was very active in Knights of Columbus Council #2577.  James was never one to seek the spotlight, preferring to take on service roles.  For that reason, although he served in almost every leadership position in Council #2577, he consistently refused to be nominated for the highest leadership position.  He was, however, a member of the Knights of Columbus 4th Degree Color Guard and represented the Council, along with his fellow Color Guard members, during more than one visit of the Pope to the Washington, D.C. area.

James was a loving and generous man who was particularly close to, and supportive of, his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  Living on his own until well into his 80s, James resided for several years in the home of his granddaughter, Katrina D'Angelo and her family, and then moved to the Cooperstown, NY, area, where he passed away in the early morning of November 23, 2025.

James was predeceased by his parents, James and Catherine Hannan; his wife, Dorothy (Hawkins) Hannan; his long-time companion, Herma (Enderle) Lambros; his brother, Joseph Hannan; his sister, Mary (Hannan) Mulcahy; his brothers, Jack Williams, Leo Kelm and Bernard Kelm.

James is survived by his daughters, Catherine Hannan and Susan Galiano; his grandchildren, Katrina D'Angelo, James Daniel Hannan, Elizabeth Galiano and Dominic Galiano, and great-grandchildren Timothy, Logan and Sophie.

He will be long remembered and greatly missed.

A Catholic Funeral Mass will be held for James at Ascension Church, Bowie, MD, at 11:00 a.m. on December 29, 2025.

Arrangements are entrusted with Heller & Skinner Funeral Home, 155 Main Street, Worcester, NY; www.hellerskinnerfh.com