UNH honors late Marblehead couple

DURHAM, N.H. – Not only did the late Paul and Elizabeth “Bunny” O’Neill Hannaway of Marblehead make a college education possible for University of New Hampshire students studying medicine, they also made a state-of-the-art teaching and learning space possible for all students and faculty in the College of Health and Human Services at UNH.Dr. Paul Hannaway was raised in Marblehead and graduated from St. John’s Prep in 1954. His yearbook entry read, “Worked hard and well? Should make the grade in life.”After a long career in medicine, in which he became known as a leader in the field of allergy and immunology, Dr. Hannaway died in 2007. His wife Bunny Hannaway, a beloved Marblehead artist, died in 2006. She grew up in Swampscott, graduated from Swampscott High and Simmons College and was a longtime Red Cross volunteer.On Saturday, June 19, UNH recognized their generosity at a dedication ceremony on the Durham, N.H. campus. The event highlighted the completion of the Hannaway Lecture Hall in New Hampshire Hall and the establishment of the Elizabeth and Dr. Paul J. Hannaway ’58 Scholarship Fund.”The Hannaways’ generous estate gift has made so much possible for our students and faculty,” said Tim Allison, director of gift planning at UNH. “We’re very grateful for their support of the College of Health and Human Services.”More than 65 family members, classmates and friends attended the ceremony, including the couple’s nine grandchildren.Speakers included Barbara Arrington, dean of the College of Health and Human Services; Dr. Vangel Zissi, UNH Class of ’58; and Kimberly Hannaway Schillinger, UNH Class of ’86. Ron Croce, chair of the Kinesiology Department, gave building tours after the program.Dr. Hannaway was a pre-med student at UNH, graduating in 1958. He earned a medical degree from Albany Medical Center in 1963. Bunny was a member of the regional art scene most of her life and often painted scenes of Marblehead, from boats in the harbor to window boxes overflowing with colorful summer flowers along the town’s quiet lanes. Her work is displayed in many private and corporate collections throughout the United States.Anyone who would like to make a contribution to the Hannaway Scholarship Fund may contact Tim Allison, Director of Gift Planning, at 603-862-0754 or [email protected].