Obituary of
Hankinson, David Neil
Now content after enjoying his favorite Tex-Mex cuisine and listening to Dixieland music, David Neil Hankinson passed away on Thursday afternoon, July 25th , 2019, at Baylor, Scott & White Hospital in Plano, TX. He had recently celebrated his 86th birthday.
David was born in Des Moines, Iowa where he was adopted by William Kay and Ruth Rinker Hankinson. After graduation from Roosevelt High School, he served our country in the U.S. Navy as an electronics technician aboard a wooden-hulled minesweeper. Following his honorable discharge, he returned to his home state to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. There, David joined the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, whose Class of 1955 pledge brothers would become a “second family” to him for his entire life.
Upon graduation, David was hired by Collins Radio Company in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. With his young family, he moved to Richardson, Texas to begin his Collins career. During his lengthy profession, he worked on various computer message switching projects which helped to solve many practical problems —from managing an enormous motor vehicle registration backlog in Mexico City to transmitting data images back to Earth from our first men on the moon.
Yet, David wasn’t an “all-work, no-play” kind of guy. He regularly drove his Winnebago motor home across Texas to BBQ and to chili competitions. He loved all forms of traditional jazz music and sometimes travelled for hours to hear a Ragtime, Swing, and Dixieland band concert.
David was overjoyed to cheer on his beloved Chicago Cubs as they won their first Major League baseball World Series since 1908!
He was predeceased by his first wife, Judith Ellen Moeller Hankinson, the mother of their five children; Richard, his younger adopted brother; and Don K. Moeller, brother-in-law. He is survived by his loving wife, Janet Marion Martiny Hankinson, ten grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren.
Eight bells. David’s watch is over and all is well…
Please leave the family condolences and share memories on this website.
Tribute Wall of Hankinson, David Neil
Hi I am so sorry to hear about David’s death. I visited Richard in July 1988 in Iowa where I had the pleasure in meeting David and Janet. We arrived from a rainy UK to a glorious sunny summer. We were made really welcome by everyone. Very fond special memories.
Martin Hankinson
martinhankinson@gmail.com
Martin Hankinson
Tuesday January 10, 2023
Hi I am so sorry to hear about David's death. I visited Richard in July 1988 in Iowa where I had the pleasure in meeting David and Janet. We arrived from a rainy UK to a glorious sunny summer. We were made really welcome by everyone. Very fond special memories.
Martin Hankinson
martinhankinson@gmail.com
It was wonderful to correspond with David and Janet for yrs and share all the history of the Martiny family Yrs ago we all met in Allegany for a Martiny reunion They visited us in Maryland and got to meet my dad & mom (dad Janet’s cousin).
WE enjoyed spending time in person or via computer with David and Janet through the years. Today we received a letter from Janet with the sad news
May David rest in peace and may Janet find comfort in God’s love and family.
NIck & Vanessa Pinto
Thursday October 13, 2022
It was wonderful to correspond with David and Janet for yrs and share all the history of the Martiny family Yrs ago we all met in Allegany for a Martiny reunion They visited us in Maryland and got to meet my dad & mom (dad Janet's cousin).
WE enjoyed spending time in person or via computer with David and Janet through the years. Today we received a letter from Janet with the sad news
May David rest in peace and may Janet find comfort in God's love and family.
I am so sorry Dave is no longer with us. He and my parents were long time Fiji friends. He was such a kind man–when my Dad was dying, he was so thoughtful to check in on him so often. And following Dad’s death, he was kind to include Mom in dinners with him and Janet at Highland Springs. Unfortunately I will miss his service next week but Mom plans to attend. We will be out of town. Love to his precious family. Valerie
Valerie Townsend McMahan
Thursday October 13, 2022
I am so sorry Dave is no longer with us. He and my parents were long time Fiji friends. He was such a kind man--when my Dad was dying, he was so thoughtful to check in on him so often. And following Dad's death, he was kind to include Mom in dinners with him and Janet at Highland Springs. Unfortunately I will miss his service next week but Mom plans to attend. We will be out of town. Love to his precious family. Valerie
David was a constant, thoughtful, and generous friend, an avid explorer of American culture and cuisine, and a superb conversationalist. How thankful we are that he found his “sweetie,” and our friend, Janet, and together shared decades of love and adventure.
Mary & Ries Collier
Thursday October 13, 2022
David was a constant, thoughtful, and generous friend, an avid explorer of American culture and cuisine, and a superb conversationalist. How thankful we are that he found his "sweetie," and our friend, Janet, and together shared decades of love and adventure.
For the past 10 years I grew back to have a nice relationship for Dad and Janet. We had a lot of fun.
Barbara Hankinson
Thursday October 13, 2022
For the past 10 years I grew back to have a nice relationship for Dad and Janet. We had a lot of fun.