- Date Of Birth: October 21, 1932
- Date Of Death: February 14, 2020
- State: Michigan
James (Jim) Richard Hahn, aged 87 of Midland, died at Stone Crest Assisted Living facility in Freeland on Friday, February 14, 2020. He was born to Estella (Martin) and Rev. Charles B. Hahn on October 21, 1932 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Being in the ministry, the Hahn family moved frequently when he was young; he lived in Gobles, Martin, Buchanan, Clare and Alma, graduating from Alma High School. He attended Alma College, where he earned a football scholarship and played offensive guard and defensive tackle for the Scots and was named team MVP for the 1954 season. He graduated with a B.S. in Chemistry in 1955.
After graduation Jim was hired by Dow Corning and worked there for six months before enlisting in the U.S. Army. He completed basic training at Fort Leonard Woods and was assigned to the White Sands Proving Grounds in Las Cruces, New Mexico and then Fort Richardson near Anchorage, Alaska. He took up rock climbing and spelunking, climbing The Needles and Shiprock in New Mexico. He received an honorable discharge from the Army in 1958, and rejoined Dow Corning in Midland. While in the Army, Jim began corresponding with Sally Ann Robbins in Midland, connected by his former Dow Corning boss Ed Plueddeman. They met in person before Jim was transferred to Alaska, and married in 1958.
Jim worked for Dow Corning for forty years in a variety of research, product development, manufacturing and quality management roles. His fundamental work on novel silicon containing materials resulted in numerous issued U.S. patents, in many cases with Jim as the sole inventor. This research was the basis for commercial products that are still being manufactured and sold today. Following his official retirement in 1995 he returned to work as a contract researcher for another five years.
Jim was a passionate cyclist, and rode his bike to work between April and November for virtually all of his professional career. Following retirement, he was active in advocating for the extension of the existing Pere Marquette Rail Trail from Overlook Park through Auburn to Bay City. He was also passionate about energy efficient building technologies. He loved to garden and for most of his life grew a large vegetable garden. He had a very musical heart, and his whereabouts could usually be determined by listening for his almost constant whistling.
Jim and Sally were active members of the Poseyville United Methodist Church for many years, serving in a variety of capacities before that church transitioned to Aldersgate in 2018.
He is survived by brothers Lynn (Donna) of Whitehall, R. Gordon (Marilyn) of St. Louis, and sister Betty (Ray) Mayer of Lady Lakes, Florida; children Amy (James) West of Bay City, Stephen (Laura) of Midland, Ruth Franks of Saginaw; grandchildren Tyler Franks, Dustin Franks, James (Samantha), Emily (Daniel Smith) Hahn, Katherine (Haseeb) Moten, and Melissa (Jake) Swartz, great-grandchildren Cairo Franks and Camille Swartz, and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his loving wife of 60 years, Sally Ann (Robbins) in 2018.
The family is grateful to the management and staff of Stone Crest Assisted Living for the ceaseless love and care they showed for him during his last difficult years. We are also deeply appreciative of The Care Team hospice nurses who cared for and comforted our father with grace and dignity in his final days.
