ISADORE HANNAH

On October 13,1942, Isadore Hannah was born to parents, Isadore Hannah, Sr. and Marian (Hammond) Hannah in San Antonio, Texas. He is preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Henry Wilcox; and sister, Katy Lee Jones.

Isadore was educated in the San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD). He attended Wheatley High School and graduated from St. Peter Claver High School. He was inducted into the United States Military (Army) where he served from 1961–1963. Upon re-entering civilian life, Isadore enrolled in radiology school and became a licensed X-Ray Technician. While working at Downtown Baptist Hospital, Isadore became the Assistant Chief of the Radiology Department. He took pride in his work and was well respected by hospital staff, administrators, and other personnel he came in contact with.

Other educational pursuits include an Associate Degree from St. Philips College, and he attended The University of the Incarnate Word. Additionally, he worked as a Financial Counselor with SANYO and was a United States Postal Carrier. Isadore retired from Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) now known as San Antonio Military Medical Center (SAMMC) where he worked in Radiology Quality Control. He was very accomplished and knowledgeable in the medical field, often sharing his knowledge with family and friends.

Isadore accepted Christ and was baptized at an early age by the late Rev. S. H. James, Jr., Pastor of Second Baptist Church where he maintained a long-time membership.

He had a strong passion and love for various sports. Isadore was a gifted and talented athlete as evidenced by playing baseball–Black Socks; football—San Antonio Toros (cornerback, punt return) and golfer. He also loved and played the game of basketball. After playing sports, Isadore became a football official. This was one of his favorite occupations. He was a member of the San Antonio Chapter of Officials and later became a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). During the NFL officials strike, Isadore was privileged to have been chosen as a replacement official. Locally, Isadore became known as a “no nonsense” official and was highly respected by coaches and players of various teams because he always called what he saw and saw what he called. After 35 years of officiating, he decided to retire and focus solely on his family and pouring into his legacy. His favorite pastimes were watching sports on TV, looking up sports stats on the computer, sitting in the garage talking with friends and family, and  being sure to watch the local 5:00 PM and 6:00 PM news every day! Whether it was with his cousin, Rev. Samuel Mathis, or friends (Elwood Plummer, Clarence “Slick” Sapenter, William Hines), and brother, Houston “Bingo” Lee, he made sure to invest in relationships. His phone buddies (Plummer and Slick) would discuss various topics on a three-way call every night.

Isadore married the love of his life, Patricia Johnson, in 1968. God blessed this union with a beautiful and talented daughter, Diane Hannah Jones. Her three children: Christian, Jeremy and Taylore were taught athletic skills by their grandfather on a consistent basis at very early ages. Throughout their adolescent years, he continued to show his unwavering love and support by taking them to practices, attending their football and basketball games, school programs, birthday parties, and many other events. Isadore proudly wore his Gonzaga University gear in support of Jeremy, Spelman Grandpa gear in support of Taylore, and he always wore his 4AM wristband in support of Christian’s clothing brand until he took his final breath on April 28th, 2020.

Isadore was very kind and personable—building healthy relationships with his grandchildren’s coaches, team parents, neighbors, coworkers, etc. He was well-known in the community not only because of the talents and knowledge he had to offer, but because of his exceptional personality.

He is survived by his wife, Patricia; children, Sherrylyn (Lawrence) Wyatt, Stacy (Angela) Hannah, Diane Hannah, and Jason (Rita) Williams; brothers, Houston (Dorothy) Lee, James (Connie) Lee, and Clifford Lee; brothers-in-law, James (Shirley) Johnson and Allen Johnson; sister-in-law, Lynda Jeffery; grandchildren, nieces and nephews, cousins, and many other family members and friends across the country.

In 2016, Isadore began his battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Even though he was enduring a continuous decline, he still managed to bring wisdom and joy to those he encountered until his health prevented him from doing so. He will be deeply missed, but those who love him will keep his memory alive by cherishing every fulfilling moment they shared with him.

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