[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 4903]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            DAVID P. HANLON

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. PHIL ENGLISH

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 27, 2003

  Mr. ENGLISH. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to pay tribute to the 
life of David P. Hanlon, beloved principal of McDowell Intermediate 
High School in Erie, Pennsylvania, who passed away tragically at the 
age of 46 on January 10, 2003.
  Dave Hanlon will be remembered by the Millcreek community as a 
dedicated and loving husband, father, teacher, coach, and friend.
  As Millcreek Township's athletic director and later MIHS Principal, 
Hanlon was known for his reassuring presence and ability to inspire 
students.
  He would spend little time in his office during the day, preferring 
instead to walk the halls of McDowell reaching out to students and 
teachers. But he spent many late nights at his desk implementing his 
ambitious plans for the school's future. Dave Hanlon was a fixture at 
McDowell arts and sporting events, and led many school trips including 
a government class trip that visited the Capitol two years ago.
  Because of his contagious enthusiasm for McDowell, it was often said 
that he bled blue and white, the McDowell Trojans' school colors.
  Mike Gallagher, a close friend, once observed that Hanlon's ability 
to connect with students ``changed the way kids view adults in their 
lives.''
  The Reverend John Detisch eulogized that ``David was a teacher. And 
what he taught came not so much from the classroom; what he taught came 
from the heart.''
  McDowell sophomore Hubbell McGeorge wrote the following about Dave 
Hanlon's immeasurable impact on students lives:
  ``The first day back to school after such a tragedy is very hard. It 
feels like a piece of all of us is missing and can't be fixed. There 
is, and will be, a hole in the school, the district, and the community 
for years to come.''
  Dave Hanlon's dedication to his students was surpassed only by his 
devotion to his wife Paige and three children, Collin, Peyton, and 
Braden. On the last day of his life, Dave Hanlon confided to a student 
about the ``perfect life'' he had found with his family.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in paying tribute to 
the life of David P. Hanlon, a devoted family man and model educator 
who will be deeply missed by an entire community.

                          ____________________