1972 David G. Hanrahan

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July 8, 2019

The class received notice that David George “Dave” Hanrahan died peacefully at his home in Kensington, Md., July 8, 2019. He was 69 years old.

            Dave graduated from Stranahan High School, in Fort Lauderdale, where he was a two-time state high school champion in the 100-yard butterfly and qualified for the 1968 Olympic Trials. He entered with the Class of 1971.

            As a junior in the Class of 1972, he joined Cannon Club, majored in sociology, and wrote his thesis on The Quest for Subjectivity: The Problem of Faith in the Works of Soren Kierkegaard and Jean-Paul Sartre’.

            In 1975 Dave and his brothers James and Thomas, founded Future View Inc., a company founded on the vision that video would soon replace film in corporate media production and that large-screen video projection was the new wave of display technology. Dave served as the chief executive officer and in more than 40 years, grew the company into the leading audio-visual rental-staging company in the Washington, D.C., area.

            He was a visionary leader in this field. The firm’s work included presidential inaugurations, civic celebrations, sports events, and concerts. The company is known for its creative approach to event design, transforming clients into partners and changing the way they related to events. After Tom and James left the company in the late 1980s, David continued to develop highly interactive presentation technologies, working with The Wall Street Journal, Educational Testing Service, Center for American Progress, the State of the World Forum, Georgetown University, the Bi-Partisan Policy Center, and the Peterson G. Peterson Foundation.

            History, philosophy, music, and travel were lifelong passions of David’s. An omnivorous reader, David’s home office was continually stacked with books ranging from Soren Kierkegaard, to military campaigns during the Civil War and World War II, to transforming digital business models, to the poetry of 11th century Persia. His adventurous spirit led him to take up white-water canoeing and exploring, which he pursued in locations as far-flung as the Yukon (Canada), Mozambique (Africa), Lake Baikal (former Soviet Union), and northern Pakistan. His taste in music was equally expansive, ranging from the classic rock of his youth to the meditative compositions from India.

            First and foremost, David Hanrahan loved his family — his devoted wife of nearly 50 years, Chris; his sons Michael and Daniel; his daughter, Carolyn; and his grandchildren, Adelaide and Ned. In his family, David found the unconditional love that filled his heart to the very end of his glorious life.

            He is survived by his wife, Christine; daughter Carolyn; son Daniel of Philadelphia; son Michael and his wife Aimee Wadeson; their children Adelaide and Ned of Kensington; brothers James and Tom of Annapolis; and nieces and nephews Jon, Erica, Greg, Will, Garrett, Libby, Caitlin, Kevin, Brian, Brennan, Gemma, and Lena. The class extends its condolences to the family.

Class Year: 
Undergraduate Class of 1972