David Oliver Hanon

David Oliver Hanon, beloved husband, father, grandfather, veteran, inventor, and lifelong explorer of both Earth and sky, passed away peacefully on July 29, 2025, at the age of 81. A resident of Ringgold, Georgia since 1973, David leaves behind a legacy that shines as brightly as the stars he so loved to capture.

He is survived by his devoted wife of nearly 60 years, Linda Hanon, and their four children: David Kristian, Letha Renee, Derrick Oliver, and Bradley Dwayne. He was a proud and adoring grandfather to McKenzie Renee, Jonas Garcia, Addison Renee, Chase Oliver, and Levi Oliver. David's warmth, wisdom, and wonder will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.

David graduated from the University of Chattanooga (now UTC) in 1968 with a degree in Engineering Physics. A gifted mind with a passionate heart, he spent his life building, discovering, and documenting beauty. As a published astronomer and astrophotographer, his celestial images were featured in books, magazines, and even on the NASA website. He bore witness to—and photographed—five total solar eclipses and countless lunar eclipses, always chasing the perfect alignment between Earth, moon, and sun.

He wasn’t just a stargazer — he was an adventurer. David hiked the Grand Canyon over a dozen times, completing his last rim-to-rim trek at age 67. He explored volcanoes in Hawaii, scaled Half Dome in Yosemite, and documented the natural wonders he encountered with a camera always at the ready. His landscape photography, like his night skies, told stories of awe, scale, and serenity.

David was also an inventor, holding multiple patents, and a skilled Amateur (Ham) Radio operator known by his call sign K4DXD. He was one of the youngest ever to sit for the FM/Class 1 radio license. A proud Vietnam veteran, he later became a long-standing Chattanooga business owner of Technical Maintenance & Electronics, known for his ingenuity, dedication, and integrity.

A faithful member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, David lived his life like he lived his nights under the stars — with purpose, curiosity, and reverence for creation.

Visitation will be held in Chattanooga, Tennessee at the Heritage Funeral Home East Brainerd Chapel on Thursday, July 31, 2025, from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. with a funeral service at Vanderwall Funeral Home in Dayton, Tennessee on Friday, August 1, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. where they will receive friends Friday from 12:00 noon until 2:00 p.m. He will be laid to rest in the Cove Cemetery in Dayton.

Please share your memories and photos of David on his online guest register at www.vanderwallfh.com.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to the Barnard Astronomical Society of Chattanooga, in honor of David’s lifelong passion for the stars and his enduring desire to inspire the next generation of stargazers and explorers.