Kenneth Wm. Hanck
Kenneth “Ken” William Hanck, 76, of Black Lake, formerly of Cary and Apex, North Carolina, passed away Thursday, November 28, 2019 from complications of Parkinson’s disease. He is survived by his wife of nearly 33 years, Jane (Reiger) Hanck of Black Lake; three children, Melissa (Brian) Kelsey of Holly Springs, North Carolina, Terrance B. (Diana) Fitch of Cheboygan and William Fitch of Raleigh, North Carolina; grandchildren, Alec, Nathan and Joshua Kelsey; and a great-grandson, Jackson Kelsey. Ken also leaves his brother, Gerold (Dottie) Hanck; sisters, Marcia (David) Hoover and Susan Hanck, all of Illinois, and Amber (Justin) Price of Tennessee; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and in-laws. He was preceded in death by his father, Clarence; his mother, Norma Hanck Woosley; and his stepfather, Halbert Woosley. Ken was born in Bloomington, Illinois and graduated from Normal Community High School in 1960 and Illinois State University in 1964.
He went on to earn his PhD in chemistry from the University of Illinois. He joined the chemistry faculty at North Carolina State University in 1969 as an assistant professor, was promoted to associate professor in 1974, and eventually attained the rank of professor in 1978.
His scholarly interests included electroanalytical chemistry and chemometrics. In addition to supervising research with graduate students at North Carolina State he developed research collaborations with chemists in Romania, Japan and Australia.
He was awarded a Senior Fulbright Scholarship to Australia in 1980 and spent 11 months engaged in collaborative research and teaching at most of the major universities in Australia.
Ken served as the acting head of the department of chemistry at North Carolina State from 1982 until 1983 and was the head of the department from 1984 until 1991. He later was appointed interim head of the department of chemistry July 1, 2004 and served until June 30, 2005.
Ken was appointed professor emeritus, department of chemistry at the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences in July of 2012. Passionate about teaching, research and sharing his knowledge of chemistry, Ken had a long and distinguished caree
A kind and loving man, Ken was dedicated to his family, to God and his church. A member of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Raleigh, North Carolina since 1969, Ken was president of the congregation, served on various committees and was on the board of elders, as well as serving as a communion assistant. His wife, children and family were the joy of his life. He was loved and respected by his family, friends and colleagues.
A memorial service was held at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Onaway last week. A memorial service for family, friends and colleagues in North Carolina will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 16, 2020 at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Raleigh with a reception to follow. Please consider a donation in memory of Kenneth Hanck to Lutheran World Relief, P.O. Box 17061, Baltimore, MD 21297 or at lwr.org. Condolences may be shared with Ken’s family at www.chagnonfh.com.