The history of PRN’s beginnings and the legacy of our founders is something worth celebrating, and yet it is with a heavy heart we mourn the passing of Patricia Hannon.
Five years ago, for the 50th Anniversary celebration of PRN, we interviewed Bruce Hannon, one of our founders and the namesake of the Bruce Hannon Friends, a group of our most dedicated supporters committed to sustaining the work of PRN into the future. In that interview Bruce reflected on Allerton Park and PRN and told us, “The key to all of this, the key to the start of all of this,” was his wife Patricia Hannon.
Patricia Hannon passed away in early September. Her passing is a loss to the Hannon family, to our community, and to all who knew her. She was also instrumental in saving Allerton and in the formation of what would later become PRN.
Her Legacy of Saving Allerton Park
The story of how Allerton was saved began with a hike in Allerton Park by Patricia. Bruce and Patricia were staying with their family in a nearby cabin, and it was that day that she learned of the plans to dam the Sangamon River and flood the park. Patricia came back to the cabin on a mission and told Bruce about the Corps’ intention. She organized a bonfire, started a petition, and spoke about what the park meant to her. And thankfully, through the hard work and perseverance of volunteers, many of whom are still PRN members today, Allerton was saved.
Allerton was just the first of many special places that were saved by the work of advocates like Patricia Hannon. Our founders truly changed how the public views our rivers, and we at PRN, the staff, the board, and our generous members and supporters, are the proud inheritors of Patricia’s truly remarkable legacy.
It is with the utmost respect that the PRN family offers our thanks for what Patricia started 55 years ago.
