Many years ago during one of Atlanta’s notorious, if infrequent, snowstorms, I was walking down an icy and seemingly impassable street. One lone pick-up truck precariously came slowly down the road. It was one of those old timey trucks of years back.
The truck slowed and the driver, to my shock, said “Matt, do you need a ride?” I realized immediately who it was, but politely and quickly declined the ride for fear that his stopping would lead to another stuck vehicle in the ice and snow.
The driver of that humble truck was Frank Hanna, Jr. He was one of Georgia’s most successful, yet quiet and understated, business leaders. His sons Frank III and David had become dear friends of mine at a young age. I had witnessed the family’s phenomenal business successes and, moreover, their devotion to their church and their political party (oh, of course, Republican!).
Known by his family as “Pop,” Frank, Jr. was a soft-spoken man also helped fund endless charities and civic organizations, as well as his beloved Catholic Church. He worked together with Atlanta’s Holy Spirit parish and its renowned Monsignor Edward Dillon to build it from a small Buckhead outpost to one of the most popular and respected centers of Catholic worship in the Southeast.
But anyone who knew him, knew him best as the centerpiece of his family. He was their rock and their true guiding light. He instilled character and caring in his children and grandchildren.
So, it comes as no surprise that the man whose family came to own controlling interest of companies like Blue Shield of Georgia and the Nasdaq publicly traded Atlanticus, would drive that old pickup truck through the streets of Buckhead in a snowstorm, offering a friend a ride. He was a humble man, who wasn’t afraid of a storm, but never failed to give others a helping hand.
And that’s a story and a life worth remembering. Our condolences and love go to the family of Frank Hanna, Jr.
