David Hanaway, Jr.

David Cameron Hanaway, Jr. was born on Mother’s Day, May 12, 1972, in Bellevue, Nebraska to Dave and Elsie Hanaway. He recently retired from the United States Air Force, where he received many commendations. In 2010, he was selected as the NCO of the year. His commander remarked that to be singled out among many exemplary NCOs in his squadron was a tremendous achievement.

Memories of David from mom and dad ... Where do we begin?

We remember watching David as he peddled his red Big Wheels in the cul-de-sac in front of our house. We remember helping him learn how to ride a bicycle. We remember how much David loved to carve pumpkins and go trick-or-treating with his sisters. We remember that David always entered the bicycle competition in elementary school, and he always came running excitedly into the house with another patch for his mom to sew on his red and blue jacket, which he wore with pride. We remember going to his soccer games for years, and we remember that one of his soccer teams was named Orange Crush. We remember how one time he invited some of his friends over to spend the night, and the next day we woke up to find that the boys had cracked eggs in each other’s shoes. We remember when David graduated from high school in 1990. We remember when David joined the United States Air Force. David served five deployments in service to his country. While David was serving with the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia, we received a letter from his wing commander. He wanted to let his parents know that David was a valued member of his squadron. He said that David had provided outstanding support to the command-and-control refurbishment project. His support was critical to a $100,000 equipment upgrade, which played a key role in the daily combat operations. As a result of his professional conduct and performance, David was presented a commander’s coin as a symbol of appreciation. David’s favorite outdoor activity was spending weekends with his beloved family at the coast, fishing, and splashing around in the waves. Our family has lost someone who we hold most dear, but only temporarily, until we meet once again. David will be lovingly remembered by his parents, Dave and Elsie Hanaway, his two sisters, Dawn and Sherri, and his three daughters, Ariana, Madison, and Rosalyn, as well as many dear friends. Our family wants to thank all of our friends for your words of encouragement and prayers.

A graveside celebration of life for David will be held at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery through Schertz Funeral Home on Monday, March 29th at 9:15 a.m.

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