Obituary of Warren Harding Hannaway

Warren Harding Hannaway died on January 27, 2013. He was 91 years old. Born on August 8, 1921 in Norristown, PA, Warren was the son of Harry James Hannaway, and Rae Faunce Duffy. At the suggestion of his older brothers, he was named for then President Warren Harding. Warren was raised in Norristown with his brothers Harry and Gordon. His family owned the Hannaway & Gordon Ice Cream Co., where Warren got his first job folding boxes for popsicles before he went to kindergarten. He was graduated from A. D. Eisenhower High School in Norristown and attended Ursinus College in Collegeville, PA. While a student at Ursinus, Warren caught the eye of a beautiful brunette from Atco, NJ. He was formally introduced to Dorothy Schleinkofer at the wedding of his brother, the Rev. Gordon Hannaway, to Elizabeth Hunsberger, in Norristown, PA. Gordon was the new minister at Atco Presbyterian Church, and had invited the entire congregation to the ceremony. After Pearl Harbor In 1941, Warren enlisted in the Army Air Corps. He served in the Pacific Theater in the Southern Philippines and New Guinea. Warren was awarded the World War II Victory Medal, Philippines’ Liberation Ribbon with two Bronze Stars, Good Conduct Medal, the American Campaign Medal, and the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal with 3 Bronze Stars. He was at the Battle of Leyte Gulf, considered to be the largest naval battle of WWII. While Warren was stationed overseas, Dorothy corresponded with him. After his discharge from the Army, in November 1945, they began a romance that lasted many years. Dorothy used to say, “The pen is mightier than the sword.” Her letters paid off and the handsome redhead married his captivating bride on June 29, 1946. They celebrated their 55th anniversary a few weeks before her death in August 2001. Dorothy and Warren lived in Norristown, where they raised two daughters, Dorian Rae and Carol Elizabeth. From 1945 until 1963, Warren worked as a research chemist for Lee Tire of Conshohocken. Following that and until his retirement in 1986, he was employed by Allen Sherman Hoff Pump Company in Malvern, PA, to make the formulas for the rubber compounds used in their heavy equipment. In 1970, Warren and Dorothy moved to Atco, NJ, where they served on the board of the Equity National Bank (originally Atco National Bank), which had been founded in 1925 by Dorothy’s father, John Schleinkofer. Warren served as Chairman of the Board at Equity until it merged with Susquehanna Bank in 1999. During his retirement, he served on the board of the Atco Cemetery, and was active in the Atco Seniors and the Atco Presbyterian Church. Warren was proud to have served his country, grateful to find the love of his life, and was devoted to his children. In his later years, he enjoyed frequent trips to Atlantic City with Dorothy, taking care of his cats, and the Phillies. He will be dearly missed by those who love him, including the folks at the Town Tavern, where Warren was a regular fixture in the afternoons. Warren is survived by his daughters, Dorian and Carol; his nieces, Dorothy L. Hannaway, Jean Carrie Winter, Cody Winter Eakins, Elizabeth Hannaway Norris, Melissa Rowand Keenberg, Cindy Rowand and their families; his nephews, Wesley M. Hand, Gordon E. Hannaway, David Hannaway, Ray Schleinkofer, Jack Rowand Jr., and their families; and many great-nieces and nephews who were the children of his niece Shirley Hannaway Scarborough, who died in 2010. Services will be held at the LeRoy P. Wooster Funeral Home & Crematory, 441 White Horse Pike, Atco, NJ at 11:30 AM on Thursday, January 31, 2013, and burial will be at the Atco Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Atco Presbyterian Church or Best Friends of Animals.