Mary F. (Forbes) Hanna

Mary (Forbes) Hanna, age 99 of Longwood at Oakmont, passed away peacefully with her daughters at her side on Thursday, November 27, 2025.

Beloved wife of the late William M. “Bill” Hawkins and the late Dr. Dwight C. “Pete” Hanna, III; loving mother of Julia Schieve (late David) of Cincinnati, Ohio and Elizabeth Hosch (Charles) of Dallas, Texas; cherished grandmother of Eric W. Schieve (Heidi), Bradford J. “Brad” Schieve, Julia Hosch Singh (Aditya), and Mary Catherine Hosch; great grandmother of Owen H. Schieve, Clara Joy Schieve and Diya Cate Singh; step mother of Kathy Stauffer (Derry) of Cleveland, Ohio, Marilyn Fitzsimmons (Ray) of Shadyside, D. Richard Hanna (Kathleen) of Indianapolis, Indiana and David Hanna (Colleen) of San Diego, California; also by many step grandchildren and step greatgrandchildren.

Born in Newton Centre, Massachusetts in 1926, Mary was a lifelong Boston Red Sox fan. Even after more than sixty years making Pittsburgh her home, she never forgot the correct pronunciation of “tomahto.”

Mary deeply believed in the power of literacy, and spent her career expanding library access for readers of all ages. After graduating from Middlebury College with an English degree, she began her career in textbook publishing and then became a fourth grade teacher at the Emma Willard School. She went on to earn her Masters in Library Science from the University of Pittsburgh, and spent the majority of her professional career as a librarian in the Fox Chapel Area School District. After retirement, she helped to create the library at Longwood at Oakmont Retirement Community.  A voracious reader, Mary read hundreds of books in her lifetime, leading monthly book club meetings well into her nineties.

Mary’s passion for education also extended to world travel. Her favorite adventures included a trip to London, England during the Queen’s coronation in 1953, and a trip to Miraj, India in 1998 where she worked in a local elementary school library.

Throughout her life, Mary met every challenge with fearlessness, fortitude, and generosity. She demonstrated how to be fully committed to both a career and family in a decade when this was uncommon for women. She was also unfailingly dedicated to local causes, including Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church, and global affairs.

In later years, this was most visibly evident on her refrigerator door, whose original color could not be seen through photos and notes from beloved children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and the innumerable nonprofits she supported, all of whom carry her legacy.

A memorial service will be held and announced later. Memorial contributions in her memory may be made to the Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church, to the American Cancer Society, or contributions to your local library.

Arrangements by the Weddell-Ajak Funeral Home, Aspinwall.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Mary F. (Forbes) Hanna, please visit our floral store.