Donald "Don" 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 before turning 75.  

 

He was born 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 where his father, Merle Hahn had taken a job at the Gamble Store.  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 and was often found singing even in his play time as a toddler. He also expressed an interest in playing tuba in 6th grade which sparked 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 later switched to tuba in the second semester.  He 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. 

 

Don made the decision to move to Texas to establish residency as he had set his sights on North Texas State University in Denton, Texas.  Don 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 went on to enroll at North Texas State University where he focused on jazz, performance and teaching and graduated with a Bachelor of 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 for 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 returning to teach the next year at Karval as a married couple.  Don went on to teach K-12 music and band from 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 was in the retail sales of the Natural Music and then the Music Maker in Loveland from 1987-2000 selling and renting instruments.  Don switched careers to high tech and worked at One Vision as a Quality Assurance Agent. Later he was a driver for Columbine Health System helping seniors.  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” for the Don Elwood Big Band which was 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. 

 

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 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 in 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 Church 1815 Yorktown Ave. Ft. Collins, CO 

On August 22, 2025, at 2pm. 

  

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

Cards – Suzanne Hahn, 2297 Sopris Circle, Loveland, CO 80537.