Hana Janjigian Heald

Hana Janjigian Heald

March 4, 1940-December 24, 2020

Hana McEwen Janjigian Heald, 80, a long-time resident of Dedham, Massachusetts, died on December 24, 2020 in Frederick, Maryland. Hana passed away peacefully as a result of complications from COVID-19.  A community activist, an early computer programmer, and a newspaper owner, columnist, and editor, Hana was fortunate to live a full life, and she was most proud of her role as a devoted parent and grandparent.

Born in Danville, Pennsylvania on March 4, 1940, Hana grew up in Kingston, Pennsylvania as the middle child of the late Edward R. Janjigian, M.D. and Hannah McEwen Janjigian. Hana is survived by her sister Jessie von Hippel and Jessie’s husband Eric. Hana was predeceased by her brother Eddie, who died in June 1958 in a tragic car accident at the age of 15.  Hana was a graduate of the Class of 1957 at Kingston High School. She then began college at the University of Michigan. While there, she worked on The Michigan Daily student newspaper, and she was also a member of the university’s synchronized swim team, the Michi Fish.  After her brother Eddie’s death, Hana returned home to be with her parents, and she completed her bachelor's degree at nearby Wilkes College (now Wilkes University) in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. in 1961, majoring in Biology.

In 1968, Hana married James C. Heald, M.D. and they settled in Houston, Texas, where they raised a family of three children - Jimmy, Janet and Scotty. Hana worked as a systems analyst at Methodist Hospital in Houston. Although she and Jim divorced in 1978, Hana was not one to harbor regrets, and she always said the best thing about that marriage was that she became a mother to three wonderful children. After the divorce, Hana and her kids moved to Dedham in part to live near her sister Jessie, who resided in Cambridge. She had a long career as a systems analyst for large hospitals in the Boston area, such as Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and New England Deaconess Hospital.

In 1981, Hana took on a second part-time job as a weekly columnist for The Daily Transcript newspaper. In that role, she wrote "The Dedham Beat" column for four years, about local people involved in athletics.  In 1986, Hana was elected to a seat on the Dedham School Committee, serving one three-year term, and also served several terms as a Dedham Town Meeting member, most recently in 2014. Hana was among a group of concerned citizens in 1990 who realized that the need to assist local families experiencing hunger was acute. The group began an ecumenical effort, based at St. John's Church in the Oakdale section of town, which became the Dedham Food Pantry (DFP). Hana served as president of the DFP in 1992-93.

In September 1993, Hana was among the staff at the founding of The Dedham Times, a weekly, independent newspaper. Seven months later, she became the newspaper’s majority owner, and she played instrumental roles as a writer, photographer, publisher, editor, and mentor until she retired from the publication in 2018. While Hana admitted that she didn’t know all the ins and outs of owning and operating a weekly newspaper—and many might have considered the acquisition a crazy and risky move—she was confident in her own intellect, her passion for writing, and her work ethic.  Also notable was the fact that in Hana’s generation, women business owners were a rare breed, but that didn’t keep Hana from achieving her dream.

Along the way, all three of Hana’s children have contributed to the newspaper, including a summer internship that Janet completed in 1994 after graduating from college. Scotty has worked at the paper since 2003 and is now its Managing Editor, and Jimmy has worked at The Times since 1995 and is its Publisher. Hana was a particular inspiration to Janet who, like her mom, changed careers and who after two decades as a lawyer now owns and operates Clove & Cedar Coffeebar, a specialty coffee shop with a community focus in Bethesda, Maryland.  The coffee shop has consistently partnered with local non-profits and, while closed due to COVID-19 in Spring 2020, found its role in delivering donated coffee to frontline workers.  Janet credits Hana's lifelong passion for giving back to the community for these efforts.  In both The Dedham Times and the coffee shop, Hana's legacy lives on.

In the 2000s and 2010s, Hana dove fully into the role of grandparent.  For each of her four grandkids, Hana volunteered to be a live-in nanny for several months at a time, thereby allowing the new parents a smoother return to work. She loved playing with her grandkids and teaching them how to bake. While spending time in Washington, DC, to help raise her granddaughters there, she was a volunteer docent at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Hana was passionate about being a lifelong learner, and even in the final months of her life, she could often be seen walking around with The Washington Post folded under her arm. She believed deeply in journalistic integrity.

In the summer of 2018, Hana moved to Maryland to live near her daughter Janet and her family. Hana resided in Chevy Chase until October 2019, at which time she moved to Somerford Place in Frederick where she lived for 14 months. In addition to her sister and brother-in-law, Hana is survived by her three beloved children: Jimmy Heald and his wife Shannon, Janet Forlini and her husband E.J., and Scotty Heald; as well as four beloved grandchildren: Julia, Elena, Annie, and Charlie. Hana also leaves a cherished niece, Christiana von Hippel and her husband Andrew Cann, and a cherished nephew, Eric von Hippel.  Since it isn’t safe to gather now, Hana’s family is hoping to hold a celebration of her life in the summer of 2021. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Hana’s honor to one of the following organizations:

The Dedham Food Pantry, 797 Providence Highway, Dedham, MA 02026 (Web - dedhamfoodpantry.org );

The News Literacy Project, 5335 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 440, Washington, DC, 20015, (Web - www.newslit.org ).

Arrangements by Keeney & Basford Funeral Home, Frederick, MD.  Online condolences may be shared at: www.keeneybasford.com