Obituary Record

Richard T O'Hanlon
Died on 6/1/2011
Buried in Holy Cross (Catholic Church) Cemetery

Published in the Pilot-Tribune June 7, 2011

Richard T. O’Hanlon, 68

Always Had a Joke or Story to Tell

Blair native Richard T. O'Hanlon, 68, died Wednesday, June 1, 2011, at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney.

A Mass of Christian burial will be 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 7, at St. Ann's Catholic Church in Lexington. Interment with military honors will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 8, at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Blair. Visitation is from 2 to 4 p.m. Monday, at the Reynolds-Love Funeral Home in Lexington, with a wake service at 6 p.m. at St. Ann's Catholic Church.

Richard T. "Dick" O'Hanlon was born Nov. 22, 1942, in Blair to Robert E. and Rita (Foley) O'Hanlon. The family later moved to the Chicago area where he graduated from Lyons Township High School in LaGrange, Ill., in 1960. Upon graduation, he attended radio school at Brown Institute in Minneapolis, Minn.

He served in the U.S. Army Reserves from Feb. 7, 1965, to Jan. 5, 1971.

His first radio "gig" was at KRIB in Mason City, Iowa, doing dances for rock ‘n' roll performers. He moved to McCook where he worked for KBRL radio station, where he had his own program, "It's an O'Hanlon Get-together." It was in McCook, too, where he would meet the love of his life, Zelda McNerny. The couple married Nov. 25, 1967, in McCook. They moved to Lexington in 1970.

On Oct. 19, 1970, Mr. O'Hanlon started at KRVN radio station; he retired in 2005. He was a salesman and eventually sales manager. Even as sales manager, he retained his sales territory. After retirement, he continued to voice commercials for his favorite clients. In the early years, he also served as an announcer. He was the evening announcer on the first day the station switched to 880. He voiced commercials along with the Nebraska Water Users and Ward Laboratories Quality Questions programs.

Always active, he was a member of St. Ann's Catholic Church, the American Legion, where he served as past commander; on the board of the Dawson County Historical Society; Lakeside Country Club; and the Elks and the Eagles clubs. Family note that to say "Dick was a people person was an understatement." He loved to golf, play cards, play his guitar, sing and tell jokes and stories. He was the president of the Wednesday Night Investment Club. He would say at his own demise, "Well, isn't this just swell."

He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Zelda O'Hanlon of Lexington; brothers and sisters-in-law, Robert and Mimi O'Hanlon of Willowbrook, Ill., Dan and Kathy O'Hanlon of Huntington, W.V., Bill O'Hanlon and companion, Helen, of Santa Fe, N.M., Terry and Kelly O'Hanlon of Fort Meyers, Fla., and Paul and Jane O'Hanlon of Leawood, Kan.; sisters and brother-in-law, Maureen and Kelly Krentsa of Stockbridge, Mass., and Suzanne O'Hanlon of Cary, N.C.; stepmother, Janet O'Hanlon of Blair; many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and two special friends, Gordon Bennett and David Crawford.

Memorials are suggested to the Lexington Rescue Unit or the YMCA Building Fund.

Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file at the Blair Public Library.

Note: he served in the Army Reserve 1965-1971

Printed in the Washington County Pilot-Tribune on 6/7/2011


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