Joseph Hanzel Jr.

Palm Coast, Fla. — Capt. Joseph Albert Hanzel Jr. died July 28, 2020. He was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and amyloidosis, diseases with no known cures. He chose to forgo any treatments and to live out his last days with ice cream, rum and laughter with family and good friends.

Capt. Hanzel was given the nickname, “Skipper,” by his parents before he was born in January 1941. His father had been recalled into the U. S. Navy and spent World War II in the Pacific submarine force. Shortly after World War II, the family moved to Groton. Skipper graduated from Fitch High School in Groton and reported to the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, in June of 1958. He hardly created a ripple on the River Severn. In four years, he had zero “grease” and never even a squad CPO. Upon graduation, he went directly to sub school, and then on to earn his gold dolphins in October 1963, and a spot promotion to lieutenant in July 1965. He departed active duty in June 1967. He returned to active duty in September 1969, and was promoted to lieutenant commander in August 1969, becoming the most senior member of the Class of 1962 on active duty. He was promoted to commander in 1977.

He spent the remainder of his career in the Washington area, first as a plank holder in the Joint Cruise Missile Program Office, where he was responsible for the design of the missile planning system for the new weapon system, and eventually, as the program manager for the submarine- launched cruise missile ( SLCM). He went on to strategic plans and policy on the chief of naval operations ( CNO) staff and established the cruise missile in planning documents from the SecDef to the CNO. His final posting was to the special projects program office, where he led the launcher branch and then the navigation branch leading to the IOC of the Trident D- 5 weapons system.

Capt. Hanzel retired in April 1991, having spent his entire career in submarine billets. He and Judy Bedell, his lovely wife for 38 years, sailed from Maine to Trinidad before finally “swallowing the anchor” in Palm Coast, Fla., to watch their two children, Keith ( USNA ‘ 90) and Heidi; and four grandchildren grow with joy and happiness.