Paul Harold Fanning's Obituary
Paul Harold Fanning, 89, of Germantown, Tennessee, died at his home, Saturday, Janurary 30, 2010. Mr. Fanning was a highly respected structural engineer who, for many years, was a partner with one of the largest engineering firms in Memphis. Most recently, he worked for The Reaves Firm, from which he retired in 2008. Mr. Fanning is survived by his wife of 62 years, Frances Neal Fanning; his daughter, Carolyn Fanning Hollingsworth; and his son, David Neal Fanning, both of Germantown, TN; his sister, Jewell Fanning Hanson, of Atlanta, GA; his grandchildren, Karen Wynn Hollingsworth, of New York, NY, Kathryn Holllingworth Ganske of Atlanta, GA; Jonathan David Fannin of Dumfries, VA; and Amanda Fanning Widner of Knoxvile, TN; and his great-grandchildren, Lela McKinley Ganske of Atlanta, GA and Ian Hollingsworth Davis of New York, NY. He was preceded in death by his parents, Albert Lafayette Fanning and Annie Belle Watson Fanning; his two brothers, Joseph Lamar Fanning and Brodie Alton Fanning; and two of his sisters, Thelma Fanning Langford and Avis Fanning Johnson. Mr. Fanning will be remembered as a man of great personal and professional integrity. He was devoted to his family and to his work. He was a Life Member of the Engineers’ Club of Memphis and a longtime member of the TSPE and NSPE. Among his proudest achievements were the design for the Clark Tower here in Memphis and the work that he did in helping to restore California after the earhtquake of 1989. His family recalls that whenever news of a an earthquake in California would be broadcast, the phone would immediately start ringing with calls for his expertise. Many will also recall Mr. Fanning as a man devoted to his hobby- building, flying and teaching others to fly radio-controlled model airplanes. In his youth, he was struck by seeing Charles Lindbergh’s plane fly over Memphis and the fascination of watching small planes in the air above never faded.
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