Ross Hanna

A longtime Dixon resident who was the last surviving grandson of California’s most renowned naturalist and conservationist, John Muir, and the youngest of his ten grandchildren. Ross was born eight years after Muir passed away. Throughout his life, Hanna kept in touch with family and helped sustain the legacy of his grandfather by joining the John Muir Association board of directors during the 1990s, including a stint as President of the Association. He contributed a voice recording of a John Muir quote, "Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, overcivilized people..." on the John Muir Tribute CD published by the John Muir Association.

Ross was the youngest of the six children of Muir's daughter Wanda Muir and Thomas Hanna. He grew up on the family ranch in Martinez. He spent his childhood roaming the hills around his home and enjoyed spending summers in the Sierra.
Ross was a graduate of Alhambra High School in Martinez, and played the trumpet in the award-winning school band. Among his favorite memories was the Pacific Grove summer band camp, and trumpet practice sessions at the Martinez Adobe on the grounds of what is now the John Muir National Historic Site. He played the trumpet faithfully for the next eighty years. He was a leader in the Dixon Phirehouse Philharmonic Jazz Band, which performed throughout California and in Hawaii, Canada, Mexico and Europe.

During World War II, Ross served in the United States Navy in the Pacific, and later earned a business degree from the University of the Pacific. Hanna married Gladys Stoeven June 27, 1948, and they moved to Dixon to join the Stoeven family in the meat business, where Hanna worked for 31 years, until his retirement in the early 1980's.

Ross imparted his love for nature to all of his children and grandchildren. Pack trips in the mountains, fishing in streams and lakes, hiking and enjoying nature are all a part of their memories. They enjoyed trips with their family to Hawaii while their children were growing up, and later, after retirement, Ross and Gladys chose to live on the island of Kauai.
During their time in Kauai, Ross was Church of the Pacific Choir Director and he also directed the Kauai Chorale. They enjoyed time there for more than a decade and then returned back to their Dixon home to be closer to family and friends.

Ross was a long-standing member of the Dixon Community Church where he served as Volunteer Choir and Music Director for more than 50 years. For the last ten years, he and Gladys have been members of the Dixon Methodist Church.

Ross will be remembered as a loving husband, family man, band leader and friend to all. He is survived by his loving wife of 66 years, Gladys; son Hal and wife Kathleen, son Michael Muir and daughter Lynne Hanna-Lincoln; grandchildren Tim Hanna and wife Jamie, Liz Fuller and husband James, Allison Theubet and husband Jerry and Mei-Lin Hanna. He lived to see eight great grandchildren join his family; Kilian, Stephen, Natalie, Timmy, Gabby and Kolbe Theubet and Ross and Matthew Fuller.