THOMAS BERNARD O’HANLON
Tom was born in Fullerton, CA, on June 30, 1923 to Dan & Margaret Cottam O’Hanlon. He was the fourth of their seven children. He attended St Mary’s School and Fullerton High School, graduating in 1941. He attended some classes at Loyola and in 1943 entered the U.S. Army where he trained as a pilot. He flew a P-47 Thunderbolt in the Pacific theater and spent three years in the service.
He married Eugenia Allec on Jan 24, 1945 at St Mary’s Church in Fullerton, CA.
The O’Hanlon family grew with the births of Carol, Mary, Tony, Laura, Ron, Theresa and Colette between 1946 and 1956. He and Genie raised their family in downtown Placentia, in a home that was built before WWI by Eugene Allec, Genie’s father. The three bedroom, one bath home was crowded and in the mid 1950s, Tom & Genie purchased an acre covered with orange trees on Madison Ave in Placentia. It was on this land that Tom & Genie planned and built a 5 bedroom house to accommodate their large family. It took awhile to complete the home because it was built as a cash only endeavor, completed in stages as funds were available.
Tom worked as a carpenter, building cabinets for trailers at a plant in Costa Mesa and later worked as a rural mail carrier in Placentia that extended from Bradford Ave/ Madison Ave through Olinda to the county line in Carbon Canyon. The Carbon Canyon route was phased out with the growth of this rural community. He then transferred as a rural mail carrier for the Santa Ana Canyon residents. When Anaheim Hills began to develop, his rural route ended and he continued his employment as a mechanic in the Anaheim Post Office. At 55 yrs of age, he retired from the Post Office and went to work at Micrometals in Anaheim. Ten years later, he retired from his mechanic job to enjoy gardening and traveling in their RV.
Throughout his postal career, Tom loved his job and talking with his patrons on his route. Whether selling stamps or delivering cartons of live baby chicks to the local ranchers, he enjoyed what he was doing.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Tom was one of the 4-H club leaders for the Placentia Tigers 4-H club that many of his children were involved in. With the purchase of their new home site, there were many 4-H projects of sheep, chickens, rabbits, goats, steers and vegetable gardening, undertaken by the O’Hanlon children.
Once St Joseph’s Parish was established in the 1950s, Tom was active in the Men’s Council. He played on the church softball team, worked on the annual BBQ and set up booths for games and served as an usher at Mass.
He enjoyed going back to school when Orange State College (CSUF) was opened nearby and studied Russian, etc.
Camping at San Clemente State Beach was an annual event and very economical way to entertain the seven children. For almost 50 years the camping continued with some of his grown children and a weekend at the beach for other holidays like Thanksgiving became a new tradition. Of course, the camping experience was easier with a warm motorhome, a refrigerator and comfy beds instead of air mattresses that seemed to deflate during the night and ice that melted in the ice chests.
Vegetable gardening became a new pastime. He would start seeds in milk cartons and produce a huge crop of tomatoes, corn, green peppers, radishes, turnips, green beans and zucchini. The results were always more than Tom & Genie needed and the rest would go to extended family and neighbors. The old orange trees were also replaced with a few new fruit trees and shared with others.
With all the hands-on experiences, the whole family learned how to do some construction or household repair jobs, gardening and car repairs. Tom had all the tools to complete the task. The garage was full of tools and no car ever occupied his two-car garage until 2009 when family members reorganized and made room for the family car. He helped the sons-in-law who did not understand electrical or plumbing repairs when they needed a hand with their own household repairs.
Since 2007, Tom’s health declined and he was on kidney dialysis. He became a little quieter than he had been, but he continued to endure the treatments and the special diet that accompanied it. He did not complain and went three times a week for three years until other complications manifested themselves in November, 2009. He had the best caretaker, Genie, who transported him to numerous doctor visits and monitored his special diet and encouraged him to walk as much as possible. After a short time in St Jude’s Hospital, he came home to rest at the place that he had built so many years ago with the help of family and caretakers.
Tom died at home with family members present and a Louis Armstrong CD playing in the background. What song began to play after he died but ” Oh When the Saints go marching in . . .”
He is survived by his wife, Genie; their seven children - Carol (Bill) Thackery, Mary (Lee) Raspa, Tony, Laura (Lee – deceased 1994), Ron (Sue) O’Hanlon, Theresa (John) Greenwood and Colette (Bill) Farber; 18 grandchildren – Matthew, Jennifer, Lenae, Darren, Michelle, Paul, Nancy, Dave, Steve, Bernadette. Ann, Rose, Julie (deceased – 2004), Jason, Joanna, Jeffrey, Jonathan and Erin; and 6 great grandchildren – Hailee, Hannah, Natalie, Gabriella, Caitlin and Andrew Thomas and two more due later this summer.
Tonya G. Dallas
I personally have never met your Father, Carol, but I feel I really have met him, because of you. You are the spitting image of your Father and all you have done. Continue to do what you do best and that is to make this Earth a better place to live!
My condolences on the passing of your Father and my his wife, your Mother continue to have strength to carry on.
All my blessings,
Tonya
Ruth & Frank Parness
The world is a better place for Tom's contribution to it. He lived a very fulfilling life and his legacy lies in the family members he has left behind. Our sincerest condolences in your loss.
