In Memory of Hanna Hand (1935-2020)

Written by
Albert Rivera, Director, Davis International Center
April 30, 2020

In Memory of Hanna Hand
We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of a dear member of the Davis International Center family. Hanna Hand (1935-2020) passed away peacefully on Sunday, April 27, 2020 due, in part, to complications from COVID-19. Hanna’s service to the Davis International Center dates back to our founding in 1974. Most recently Hanna served as Volunteer Liaison to the Davis International Center and on the board of the Friends of the Davis International Center. According to Paula Chow, founding director (1974-2010) of the Davis International Center: “She left a prestigious manager's position at a internationally known publishing company to join our nascent International Center, with considerable financial sacrifice; because, she said,  she believed in our aspirations.”

Hanna coordinated the Host Family Program, served as advisor to the International Spouses & Partners of Princeton University group (ISPPU), and countless other activ
ities in service to the University’s international population. According to Jackie Leighton, former director (2010-2019) of the Davis International Center: “ As chairperson of her beloved Host Family Program, she was a master of organization, direct communication, and the delicate but necessary firm screening of new host families.  She had a sixth sense of how to select a good host family as well as how to make effective student/family matches - an aspect of her decades-long historical knowledge and skill that will be impossible to replace. Likewise, she loved the connection she had with the young members of ISPPU (International Spouses and Partners of Princeton University) and was committed to helping them adjust and navigate University logistics as they settled into their often lonely lives in a strange new country.”

Hanna touched, and improved, many thousands of lives through her acts of volunteer service and kindness. Her actions exemplify Princeton’s informal motto, which includes the phrase “In the Service of Humanity.” Hanna’s energy, determination, and sense of humor will be sorely missed by the staff of the Davis International Center, the international community she served, and the broader University community.