Frank Albert Hanna II
Frank Albert Hanna II, who started the Frank Hanna Cleaning Company in East Hampton as a resident here during the 1960s, died at his home in the Bahamas on April 14 of complications from pneumonia and cancer. He was 79 years old.
Mr. Hanna became an influential figure in the Bahamas, where ZNS News, a television news station, produced a tribute that called him “a national icon.”
He was born on March 5, 1937, to Frank Hanna I and the former Adrianna Bowleg in Nicholls Town, Andros. As a young man he was a garden helper on the estate of Sir Francis Francis, the wealthy owner of the island of Cat Cay, and worked his way up to become the butler of the Francis estate.
In 1955, having saved up his money, Mr. Hanna began traveling. His journey took him to East Hampton, where he found work as a butler and met his future wife, Rosa Nicholson. They were married in 1957 and had one son, Frank Albert Hanna III of East Hampton, who died last month. The two separated and were eventually divorced in 1985.
In 1961, seeing a need in East Hampton for a business that could handle all types of household cleaning jobs, Mr. Hanna started the business that would become known as Frank Hanna’s International Cleaning Company. He also worked in catering and bartending here, however his cleaning business grew quickly. He expanded in 1962 to West Palm Beach, Fla., and in 1966, he returned to the Bahamas to establish a third branch of his business there.
Mr. Hanna met Ulla Dedert of Germany in the early 1970s. They had two daughters over the course of their many years together. While living in his hometown of Andros, he established a hardware store, a furniture store, a grocery store, a gas station, and a shipping company, providing employment for many people in the area.
Mr. Hanna was usually seen wearing colorfully patterned slacks, a matching necktie and pocket piece, a white shirt, a black or navy blue blazer, and shiny black shoes. Outside of his business endeavors, his favorite hobbies were fishing and gardening. His family said he felt at peace on the water, loved teaching them how to fish, and competed in many fishing tournaments. He was also a philanthropist, giving to many churches, organizations, and people in need over the years.
“Blessed with a big heart and an even bigger personality, Frank always tried to be a blessing to others,” his family wrote.
Mr. Hanna leaves two daughters, Francis Chong and Katrin Hanna, and five adopted children, Julian Gibson, Sean Riley, Benson Miller, Michelle Johnson, and Shalece Miller, all of Nassau in the Bahamas. He is also survived by two sisters, Mary Hanna-Moreira and Birdie Hanna of Nassau; two brothers, Wilfred Hanna of Exuma in the Bahamas and Charles Hanna of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and by four grandchildren and one great-granchild.
Services begin today in Nassau for Mr. Hanna, and will include a remembrance ceremony at sea on Monday. Those wishing to convey condolences may address them to Doris Hanna, Mr. Hanna’s daughter-in-law, at P.O. Box 1265, East Hampton 11937.