Harry “Bud” Hahn was born Jan. 9,1926 and died at 100 years old April 10, 2026 in Santa Barbara.
He is survived by his children Blake and Susan; grandchildren Dustin, Hayley and Lauren (Justin); and great-grandchildren Nick, Perry, James, Taj, Amir and Keira.
We all loved him very much and will miss him dearly.
On Aug. 28, 1948, he married the love of his life Martha Jean Field and together they enjoyed 55 years of a genuinely loving marriage before Jean died in 2003.
He said the first thing he did every morning was to ask himself what he could do that day to show Jean that he loved her and make her life better. He also believed he should leave anywhere he visited and anything he did “better than he found it.”
As his children and grandchildren, we attest that he lived by those words: he was generous, thoughtful, kind, loved his family fiercely, and tried to show that love in his daily life. He taught these values by example to his children.
Bud was born in the Lutheran Hospital in Los Angeles to loving and successful parents who were “old world” Lutherans from Germany and Sweden.
He was an active, lifelong member of the church. For the last 30 years, as a member of Faith Lutheran Church in Carpinteria, Bud served as elder, president, choir member, and general all-purpose handyman. He loved the people there.
In the last two years of his life, when he was no longer able to attend church regularly, Bud was delighted when church members came to sing Christmas carols with him on his front porch. He still knew all the words by heart.
Bud graduated from Hoover High in Glendale, California, in 1944 and received his draft notice in his high school diploma as he walked across the stage at 18 years old. He enlisted in the Navy and served in World War II on a sub chaser in the South Pacific as chief engineer mechanic.
He was proud to keep his ship running, and especially proud that he was never seasick, even in high seas. Late in life, he could recite his service number and ship number, even when he had forgotten so many other things.
Bud loved boats, ships, the ocean, and spent many years walking the bluffs of Carpinteria with close friends from church, including Anna, Chuck, Clarence and Rosalie.
Their “walking club” was known and greeted by the whole Concha Loma neighborhood. He continued walking even after many of his fellow club members passed, until he was 94 years old.
Bud loved sports of all kinds, and enjoyed riding many miles on a bicycle until he was 85. He credited his track and field training in high school as a contributor to his longevity: he ran the 880 and 440.
He built a volleyball, paddle tennis, and badminton court in the backyard of his Palos Verdes Home. For many years he hosted church groups for volleyball parties and played right along with the “kids” well into his early 70s.
He stayed very active walking, doing yard work, and setting up for church events until his late 90s. He was blessed with a strong will and physically strong body.
After his service in World War II, Bud graduated from Glendale College, and he and Jean lived in Santa Barbara on Hayley Street while he attended USCB. He stopped attending college to take a job with Black and Decker, working as a salesman and earned several promotions.
When Bud decided he wanted to work for himself, he bought M and W Electric Motors and Tools in Torrance, California. He, his son Blake, and partners managed and grew that business to include Electrical Wholesale and 50 employees. Bud retired at 72.
Bud and Jean loved their home in Palos Verdes, where they lived from 1960 to 1996, enjoying a panoramic view of the San Pedro Harbor.
They moved to Carpinteria in 1996 and Bud loved living and walking in the beautiful beach town there. When asked why his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren visited him so often, he always credited living by the beach as his secret.
In truth, he (and Jean) were generous hosts and always made family the center of their lives. Our mom and dad continued the traditions set by their parents of keeping family close. We were all blessed to know such a loving Mom and Dad.
We miss Mom daily and we will miss Dad just as much, but we will keep them and good memories in our hearts as long as we live.
It was a final tribute to his enduring love for his wife Jean that Dad died on her birthday. His love for her, for family, and his faith in God were truly the center of his life.
A Celebration of Life service will be held 11:30 a.m. Friday, June 12 at Faith Lutheran Church, 1335 Vallecito Place, Carpinteria.