James L. Hagen

James L. Hagen Sr., 82, of Hampden Twp., died Thursday, March 24, 2022, at UPMC Pinnacle West Shore Hospital, Hampden Twp.

Born on January 1, 1940, James was the fifth son of the Late Hilmar R. and Gertrude M. (Brixius) Hagen. Hilmar was a merchant marine from Denmark, and James was always very proud of his Danish heritage.
After graduating from La Salle College (now La Salle University), James moved to New York City to begin his career. It was there, on a blind date at Madison Square Garden, that he met a young nurse named Annamarie Kollar, who would become his wife of 56 years. While in New York, James also served in the Army National Guard.

He had a distinguished career in human resources, working for American Can, Butterick Patterns, Harsco Corp., and Masland Carpet before finally retiring as Human Resources Director for the Pennsylvania Employees Benefit Trust Fund.

James was a man of deep, active faith. He was a longtime member of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Camp Hill. He felt the strong pull of service, giving of his time and compassion at the Camp Hill Prison and the West Shore Library. He also served as a lector both at Good Shepherd and the Harrisburg Cathedral, led an RCIA class to help others discover their faith, and served for nearly 20 years as a Eucharistic Minister at the Holy Spirit Hospital. He did these things humbly and without fanfare, and was a help and comfort to many, as well as a shining example of faith in action.
James enjoyed time with his family and friends, being outdoors, especially at the beach or near water, and eagerly awaited the annual start of trout season.

He was preceded in death by his four brothers, Hilmar, Carl, Robert and Jack.

In addition to Annamarie, the love of his life, James is survived by a son and his wife, James L. Jr. and Deborah A. Hagen of Enola; a daughter and her husband, Elisabeth A. Hagen and Daniel S. Gabbay of Arlington, VA; four beloved grandchildren, Sarah, Matthew, Ned and Nora; and many nieces and nephews.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 AM on Wednesday, March 30 at Church of the Good Shepherd, Camp Hill, with the Rev. Neil S. Sullivan as Celebrant. Burial will be in Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Upper Allen Township.

A viewing will be held at the church from 10-11 AM on Wednesday, March 30.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are requested to Church of the Good Shepherd, 3435 Trindle Road, Camp Hill, PA 17011. For more information or to messages of condolence to the family, please visit www.parthemore.com.