John Hanlon

On Monday September 21, 2020, our Lord came for his son John Kelly Hanlon, 52, of Des Moines. John passed away suddenly after suffering a pulmonary embolism. His kind heart will truly be missed by all who knew and loved him. John was born on December 27, 1967, to Thomas Joseph Jr. and Kathleen (Kay Battrell) Hanlon in Des Moines. John was a joy in the classroom, was a gift to his family his entire life, was the kid in high school who was kind to everyone, and was a loyal and generous friend, a trusty and helpful neighbor, a mentor, and a wonderful uncle. John graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1986, and soon began employment in construction. He took great pride in his work as a drywaller and painter and eventually led drywall crews until an unfortunate work accident sidelined him. When John met his wife Kimberly (Erickson) Hanlon in 1994, he knew he’d met his match and his one true love; they wed in 1995 and spent the next 25 years deepening that strong, cherished relationship. The two loved to travel and enjoyed owning classic cars. Together they devoted many hours for many years to volunteerism dedicated to keeping pets with the people who love them. John was predeceased by his father, Tom Jr., and his father-in-law, Bob Erickson. Left to cherish him are his beloved wife, Kim, his mother Kay, his mother-in-law April Erickson, his aunt Jeanette Tangeman, his brothers Thomas III (Sheree) and Michael Hanlon, his sisters Kathy and Carolyn Hanlon; brothers-in-law Kenneth Jr., and Brett Erickson, sister-in-law Andrea Erickson, and his nieces and nephews. Contributions in John’s memory may be made to The Pet Project Midwest or Wounded Warriors. Visitation and a family service will be private. Ecclesiastes 12:7 — And the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.