Donald Eugene Hahn

Donald Eugene Hahn of Loveland, Colorado, passed away Wednesday, July 23rd unexpectedly from heart failure at Anschutz Medical Center surrounded by family, just days from turning 75. He was born on July 29,1950 in Scottsbluff, Nebraska to Merle Stanley Hahn and Phyllis Elinor Willson Hahn and was the eldest of three children.

Don’s early years began in Prairie Center, Wyoming and his early schooling from Grades 1 through 4 were in Torrington, Wyoming. The Hahn family moved to Lusk, Wyoming in 1960. Don continued his education from grades 5 through 12th grade graduating from Niobrara County High School with his class in 1968.

Don had music in him from the start, singing even in his play time as a child and expressed an interest in playing tuba by 6th grade which began a long relationship and love for music and all things tuba as well as vocal performance. Don took lessons in piano and voice with exceptional teachers. In high school Don was very active in many musical groups which included band, marching band, choir, choralaires, small ensembles as well as participating in the annual musicals where he had a supporting role in “South Pacific.” Don also sang and played tuba solos in high school clinics and district competitions earning high marks.

Don attended Casper College following high school from 1968-1971, where he majored in music with a vocal scholarship and sang the leading role in “The Medium” by Gian Carlo Menotti. He later switched to instrumental focusing on tuba in the second semester. He also wrote one of his first compositions at Casper College for a piano duet which he performed at a Casper College recital with another exceptional musician.

After establishing residence in Texas, Don set his sights on North Texas State University in Denton, Texas. He began working for Denny’s restaurant as a short order cook for five years and continued to make an awesome omelet for himself and family throughout his entire life. Don enrolled at North Texas State University, where his musical experience focused on jazz and band performance and he earned a bachelor’s in music education in 1975.

Don pursued his master’s in music performance at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado from 1981 to 1983. Don was just shy of completing his master’s before making the decision to return to teaching music.

Don was a certified public-school teacher of general music, including band and choir K-12. He began teaching in Karval, Colorado where he taught for 3 years, 1977-1981 and met his future wife, Suzanne Campbell in 1977.

Don and Suzanne were married in Denver, Colorado on July 22, 1978, in the summer between school years and returned to teach the next year at Karval as a married couple. Don went on to teach K-12 music and band from the years 1982-1985 in Wiggins, Colorado. Don and Suzanne moved to Loveland in 1985 where he substitute taught while also working at the Old St. Louis Restaurant as he continued to build his culinary skills.

Don worked in sales at the Natural Music/Music Maker in Loveland from 1987-2000. He then began working at One Vision in Quality Assurance. Later he was also a driver for Columbine Health Systems assisting the elderly by safely transporting them to their destinations throughout the Fort Collins area. For several years he MC’s the “Live at Lunch” PBS radio program. Don went on to teach private music lessons through Boomer Music, in private homes and in his music studio in tuba, trumpet, trombone, French horn, baritone, flute, clarinet, and saxophone until present, 2025.

Don maintained his love for performing music with some vocal performances but mainly focusing on local performance groups which include most currently;

Foothills Brass Quintet (3/4 tuba)

Foothills Pops Band (4/4 tuba)

Don Elwood Big Band (trombone)

And past performing groups and memberships to include;

Colorado Music Educators Association, past president of district 4

Tubist’s Universal Brotherhood Association

Casper Municipal Band

Loveland Concert Band

Loveland Brass Quintet

Colorado Theater Orchestra

Community Arts Symphony of Englewood, CO

Just for Kicks (big band)

Kream of the Krop (big band)

Big Aspen Brass (tuba/euphonium quartet)

Dick Zavodny Polka Band

Ed Manteufel Orchestra

Don composed and arranged a number of musical works and was honored to be able to conduct one of his recent compositions “Fanfare 4 Band” performed by the Foothills Pops Band on April 8, 2022. He had recently composed “Blues 2 you Too” and also arranged “Blue Skies” for the Don Elwood Big Band which were performed live in Greeley on July 17, 2025 which he had so hoped to be able to perform with the group but was already in the hospital at that time.

You can find some of his original compositions on YouTube by searching;

“Elegy for Elizabeth”

“Funky Monkey Sings the Blues”

“Pikes Peak Polka”

“Fanfare 4 Band”

“Blues 2 you Too”

While Don was still in junior high, he read a book which included the game of chess as an important part of the story. From there on Don began to do his own research on reading about chess and was a self-taught player who later on taught a community education class through the University of Northern Colorado. Don taught his entire family to play chess, including his wife, son, daughter and granddaughters.

Don was also a science fiction fan and enjoyed the early years of “Doctor Who” and more especially all the Star Trek series from the original days to the newer series of Discovery and Picard. Don shared his love of Star Trek with his sister and his daughter Anna. He always used the moniker “live long and prosper” in place of happy birthday whether commenting on Facebook or in person.

Don’s family was always very important to him as he took an active role as the eldest Hahn child in planning family get togethers down to the tiniest of details. He loved that his children also played instruments, Nathan the Bass in middle school and high school orchestra. Anna played the flute, saxophone and clarinet from middle school through college also participating in the jazz band. Don shared his love of music by teaching his children and grandchildren music lessons as they allowed them and encouraged his family to pursue the things they loved.

Don is survived by his spouse, Suzanne Hahn of 47 years, his children Nathan Hahn and spouse Juliana, granddaughters, Isadora and Eleanor, daughter Anna Hahn and partner Tiffany, sister Judy Chapman and spouse John, brother Stan Hahn and spouse Paulette, mother Phyllis Elinor Hahn, and numerous nieces, nephews, aunts and cousins. Don was preceded in death by his father Merle Stanley Hahn on October 28, 2010.

Services for Don will be held at: Foothills Unitarian Universalist Church, 1815 Yorktown Ave., Fort Collins, CO 80526. On August 22, 2025 at 2:00PM, reception to follow.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be sent in memory of Donald Hahn to Foothills Symphonic Band at; Foothills Symphonic Band, c/o Phillip Ulrickson, Treasurer, 407 Guillemont St., Fort Collins, CO 80526.

Cards can be sent to: Suzanne Hahn, 2297 Sopris Circle, Loveland, CO 80537.

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