"The Jack people knew isn't here anymore, but pieces of my husband are. And I'm going to hang onto them for as long as I can," Jack Hanna's wife Suzi told The Columbus Dispatch
Jack Hanna, the charismatic zookeeper and television personality who gained national fame as director of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, is in an "advanced" stage of Alzheimer's disease, his wife has shared.
Hanna, 76, was diagnosed in October 2019. His wife Suzi and daughters Kathaleen, Suzanne, and Julie told The Columbus Dispatch that his disease has now progressed from moderate to advanced. Today, Hanna only remembers his wife, his dog Brassy, and, occasionally, his eldest daughter Kathaleen.
"The Jack people knew isn't here anymore, but pieces of my husband are," Suzi, who has been married to Hanna since 1968, told the Dispatch. "And I'm going to hang onto them for as long as I can."
Added Suzanne: "He just stopped remembering who I was in all ways. Whether it was in person or by phone, he had no idea I was his daughter. I think it's because he didn't see me as much because I got married so young and I moved away."
Hanna, who became a talk show guest star - alongside his beloved animals - was a fixture during the heyday of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and Late Night with David Letterman. These days, his routine mainly involves a bevy of medications and a late-morning, two-mile walk with Suzi, which she said she values as it gives her a sense of normalcy with her husband.
"I want to hold on to these walks as long as I can," Suzi said. "I remember the day this all officially started. The day the doctor told us what it was. I've just tried to hang on to the little pieces of Jack since then."
"My husband is still in there somewhere," Suzi said. "There are still those sweet, tender moments - you know, pieces of him that made me and the rest of the world fall in love with him. It's hard. Real hard some days. But he took care of me all those years, and so it's my turn to take care of him."
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Hanna, also known as "Jungle Jack," served as director of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium from 1978 to 1992. He officially retired from his conservation duties late 2020. Kathaleen teared up recalling how difficult it was for her parents to give up their life while initially hiding Hanna's Azheimer's from the public.
"He would have worked until the day he died. He only retired due to the Alzheimer's," Kathaleen said. "He was embarrassed by it. He lived in fear the public would find out."
Now that the family is sharing more details about Hanna's condition, Kathleen said it's important for other family's dealing with Alzheimer's to know that they are not alone, as the disease can be overwhelming for all involved.
"If this helps even one other family, it's more than worth sharing dad's story," she said. "He spent a lifetime helping everyone he could. He will never know it or understand it, but he is still doing it now."
As Hanna's disease continues to take a toll on him, Suzi told the outlet that she refuses to let home health care providers come and help her when her daughters can't be around. Understanding that she doesn't know how much longer she has with Hanna, she said she tries to live in the moment rather than thinking about the difficult days to come.
"I just want it to be your dad and I for as long as I can," Suzi told her daughters.
"The river, the sun, Brassy, our walks. ... That's what we have left," she added.
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Hanna's daughters first revealed their father's diagnosis in a letter shared on social media by the Columbus Zoo in April 2021.
"His condition has progressed much faster in the last few months than any of us could have anticipated," they announced at the time. "Sadly, Dad is no longer able to participate in public life as he used to, where people all over the world watched, learned, and laughed alongside him."
In May 2018, Hanna received the Tom Mankiewicz Leadership Award for his work in conservation at the Los Angeles Zoo's annual Beastly Ball.
"A passion for wildlife conservation and education has been at the core of who our dad is and everything he has accomplished with the help of so many," Hanna's daughters wrote in their letter. "He has spent his life connecting people and wildlife because he has always believed that having people see and experience animals is key to engaging them in more impactful conservation efforts."
They continued, "Even though Dad is no longer able to travel and work in the same way, we know that his infectious enthusiasm has touched many hearts and will continue to be his legacy."
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