A Lady Lake commissioner who fought hard to preserve trees has left behind $2,500 for the town’s tree bank.
Mayor Jim Rietz on Monday night presented the check left behind by the late Paul Hannan. The 87-year-old commissioner, who was first elected in 2004, died earlier this year. He was a resident of the Historic Side of The Villages. He represented Ward 4.
The tree bank supports the planting of trees to beautify the town and provide tree canopy for the future.
Hannan was well known for his dedication to the preservation of trees. In 2019, he famously threatened to tie himself to some 200-year-old live oaks rather than seeing them cut down. The construction project was altered to save the trees, in large part because of Hannan’s insistence on seeing them saved.
Hannan will be succeeded in the Ward 4 seat by Villager Ed Regan. He will be sworn in later this month.
Hannan was born in Danbury, Conn. on Dec. 9, 1935. He proudly held dual citizenship between the United States and Ireland. After completing an enlistment in the Army, he worked for 28 years for several aerospace and technology Fortune 500 companies. He also owned two corporations in the real estate and food industries.
He had three children and two grandchildren.
Commissioner Hannan served on the Florida League of Cities Legislative Policy Committee and The Villages Architectural Review Committee. He previously sat on the Lake Sumter Metropolitan Planning Organization Board and the Town of Lady Lake Planning & Zoning Board. He was an enthusiastic member Central Florida Corvair Club and a longtime, loyal Apple product user.