Safe Passage/Hanley Denning

I was shocked and saddened yesterday to receive an email from Bowdoin College president saying that one of my classmates, Hanley Denning, was killed in a car accident in Guatemala City this week. Hanley and I were not best friends, but hung out in the same group of friends. She was so incredibly nice... really. People say that often after someone dies, but Hanley was probably on my top 10 list of nicest people ever. I had not talked with her since graduation in '92, but had recently heard about her, after Jim, Jo Ann and I returned from Guatemala...

While in Antigua, one of the world's greatest cities, we stayed at a place called "Lazos Fuertes" and while there we learned that that hotel gives all their proceeds to Safe Passage. Safe Passage is an organization that provides opportunities for kids living in garbage dumps, through education. We were so excited to be staying in a place that was so generous...

And when we returned from Guatemala, and I looked up Safe Passage on the internet, I learned that Hanley had founded and was the president of Safe Passage!

So I am sad today.. Rest in peace, Hanley. Way to live....