Joseph D. Hahn passed away peacefully at his residence in Centre Hall, PA on Thursday, December 12, 2024.
He was proceded in death by his ex-wife, Laura Johnson and his long-time companion, Helga Sundy.
Joe is survived by his daughter, Meri and son-in-law, Pete Bittner.
Born in Sunbury, PA to Albert H. and Violet D. Hahn, Joe was a 1958 graduate of Sunbury High School. He attended Penn State University, where he majored in German and met his wife, Laura. While at Penn State, he was accepted into the Reserve Officers’ Training Corp (ROTC). After graduation he received his commission in the United States Air Force as an officer, reaching the rank of First Lieutenant. After completing his service, Joe and his family returned from Loring Air Force Base in Maine to the State College area, where he remained until his death.
Joe was an avid stamp collector and was well-known in the philatelic world. A lifetime member – member #3 – of the Mt. Nittany Philatelic Society, he held different club positions including president. He was one of the founders of the Associated Collectors of El Salvador and the only Honorary Member of the El Salvador Philatelic Association. Joe was also a member of the Philatelic Classics Society and a former member of over two dozen other philatelic societies.
Joe started out collecting U.S. Civil War stamp issues but became interested in South America, including El Salvador and Paraguay. His El Salvador collection was recognized for its excellence and won many awards. In his later years, he sold the collection through Christie’s Auction House. His most recent interest was Honduras, and until his death, he was putting together another one of his exceptional collections.
One of his proudest accomplishments was writing and publishing two El Salvador handbooks that he co-authored with his colleague, Guillermo Gallegos. Both books won several awards. The first book was “The Prestamp Period of El Salvador (1525-1866). The second book, “The 19th Century Issues of El Salvador 1867-1900”, won the distinguished Crawford Medal in 2022, possibly the highest philatelic literature award in the world, given by the Royal Philatelic Society London for “the most valuable and original contribution to the study and knowledge of philately published in book form during the relevant period.” (quoted from the website of the Royal Philatelic Society London).
Joe’s varied work history included some jobs that used his knowledge of stamp collecting. He was the sales director of the Society of Philatelic Americans, and owned the last brick and mortar coin and stamp store located in State College. He was General Manager of a State College landmark, Ye Olde College Diner in the mid-1980’s. Later, Joe worked for Diagnostics Plus/IntelliQ as a proofreader, editor, and executive interviewer. He excelled at speaking with industry executives because he was always prepared, informed, and came across as a trusted conversationalist.
Before retiring, Joe worked for Fong Strategy as a survey data coder, focusing primarily on customer satisfaction data for a major financial institution. Although many find coding to be mundane, he often found it entertaining because he enjoyed when customers were jubilant and creatively angry with their experiences.
Along with stamp collecting, Joe enjoyed reading books on a variety of subjects and attended a Quantum Physics book club in State College. He loved speaking German with others familiar with the language and appreciated a good, spirited debate. Joe was fond of cooking and taught himself the art of gourmet cuisine. He delighted in watching movies, and acquired a vast DVD movie collection.
Joe will be greatly missed by his family and friends. Arrangements are being handled by Wetzler Funeral Service, Inc. in Bellefonte. A celebration of life will be held in the spring at the convenience of the family and will be publicized by Wetzler Funeral Service when a date has been determined.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The American Philatelic Research Library (APRL), 100 Match Factory Place, Bellefonte, PA 16823 or a local animal shelter.
The family would like to thank the staff at Wynwood House in Centre Hall, who helped with his care while he resided there. Sincere thanks to Rob, Joe’s care companion, and the other staff at Houck Family Services. And thank you to the Grane Hospice team who provided exceptional hospice services.