Gaye Hannon, 83, of Wyckoff, passed away peacefully on September 14, 2023 surrounded by family and friends-who-were-family.
Born and raised in New Jersey, she had a tremendous childhood and adored her parents, Elizabeth and Raymond Kohan.
Gaye worked for the Port Authority of NY/NJ before starting her own family. She loved everything about “the Port” and it is there that she met her husband of 46 years, Tom Hannon. They met on a work sponsored ski trip — though there is little chance she ever skied or left the warmth of the lodge. According to her, all the girls in the office wanted Tom to ask them out, but he only had eyes for her.
Gaye was the loving mother of Dana Hannon and Kyle (Hannon) Bickford. Gaye and Tom raised the children in a house filled with love and lots of laughter. They worked to create a childhood of amazing memories. Together with Gaye’s parents, the family crisscrossed the United States in a motorhome and pop-up trailer every summer. They often left without a specific destination in mind. One year they drove south for hours, stopped at a rest stop to have lunch, looked at an atlas, and turned west instead, ending up in Wyoming. The journey was just as important as the destination. “Let’s see what’s over that hill” was a standard phrase and often led to great adventures.
If asked before the loss of her son on September 11, Gaye would always say “I would go back to the cradle and do it all over again”. Joy was finally brought back to her life with the arrival of her grandsons, Cole, Drew, and Grant. She had an extremely close bond with the boys and the sun rose and set on them. Her biggest regret would be not being here to watch them grow into the amazing men she said they were destined to be.
Gaye will be deeply missed by her daughter, Kyle. Their bond was incredibly strong and they truly loved and appreciated each other. She was her daughter's biggest fan.
Gaye leaves behind her daughter Kyle Bickford, son-in-law Kevin Bickford, grandsons Cole, Drew, and Grant, and nephews George Hannon and Jim Hannon. She had many friends-who-were family, including her dear friend and neighbor of over 50 years, Stephanie Marrinan.
She was predeceased by her husband Tom Hannon and their son Dana Hannon. They undoubtedly organized a welcome party and said “We’ve been waiting for you. Don’t worry, we’ll show you the best spot to watch over Kyle and the boys” and then handed her a Rusty Nail, heavy on the Drambuie, light on the ice, just the way she liked it.
Services will be held privately. Gaye’s daughter thanks everyone for their sympathy and support.
Donations may be made in her memory to the Tunnels to Towers Foundation (https://t2t.org/donate) or the Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge (https://rbari.org/donate).