Hannah Justine Block

Hannah Justine Block, 46, of Bloomington, Indiana, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on April 1, 2026. Born December 29, 1979, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, she was a beloved wife, daughter, sister, and friend whose warmth, brilliance, and joy touched everyone fortunate enough to know her. Hannah’s love of science set the course of her life. After earning her doctorate and completing postdoctoral study at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, she joined the faculty of the Indiana University School of Public Health in 2013, where she established her own research laboratory devoted to the study of motor control and proprioception. She was a gifted and dedicated educator who worked tirelessly to ensure her students truly understood what she taught, and a committed mentor who invested deeply in the researchers in her lab. Believing that passion for science should be cultivated early, she founded and ran the annual Girls With Nerve summer camp, working to inspire young girls to find their own love of science. Her dedication to spreading her love of science was recognized in 2022 when she received the Outstanding Faculty Mentor/Advocate Award from Indiana University’s Center for Excellence for Women and Technology. She leaves behind a thriving research lab and a community of students, researchers, and colleagues whose lives and careers she shaped profoundly. Hannah’s heart was as wide as her intellect. She adored animals - a love that traced back to her early dream of becoming a veterinarian - and never met a cat or dog she didn’t want to befriend. She raised two alley kittens, Frank and Joe, found behind her Baltimore apartment, who brought much joy to the household before preceding her in death. It was her love of animals that brought Hannah and her husband together: the two had been chatting online without realizing they lived a short walk apart, until Hannah spotted Matthew Hockenheimer walking his distinctive bright white Samoyed, Sapphire, through the neighborhood. Their very first date was a trail walk with Sapphire, and the rest followed naturally from there. While Hannah did not take Matt's name, both having long academic and professional ties to their birth names, they affectionately and jokingly referred to their blended family as the Blockenheimers. That small joke even made its way onto their return address stamp for years of cards and letters, only occasionally requiring correcting people who believed it had really happened. Hannah and Matt shared a relationship built on curiosity, creativity, and mutual delight in both interests and loves both shared and learned. They worked together designing and building equipment for her research, and spent countless hours exploring the surprising overlaps between their respective fields - learning from and teaching each other alike. Hannah had a gift for making a home beautiful, with an eye for design and decoration; Matt, though partially colorblind, happily deferred to her vision - hanging what she chose, digging and planting so she could have the flowers and bushes she wanted, and offering a steady shoulder whenever a project hit a snag. The two found particular joy in looking at colorful things together, each describing what they saw, marveling at the different worlds their eyes showed them. Their love of animals, appreciation for each other's sometimes quirky senses of humor, and a shared library of in-jokes from favorite shows kept their life together full of joy and laughter. Hannah was a devout Christian and a cherished member of Vineyard Community Church of Bloomington. Her faith was a quiet and sustaining presence in her life. She was a lifelong fan of science fiction and fantasy - a Star Trek devotee who delighted in wearing her uniform on special occasions, including the occasional lecture to her students - and held a particular admiration for Captain Kathryn Janeway, whom she found an enduring inspiration as a portrait of strong, capable, and compassionate leadership. She was also an ardent admirer of Tolkien. During her time in Baltimore, she crafted an elaborate, meticulously detailed dollhouse recreation of Bag End and enjoyed writing stories in the setting. She treasured the close friendships she had built from childhood onward, maintaining bonds across every stage of her life with the same loyalty and warmth she brought to everything she did. Hannah is survived by her husband, Matthew Hockenheimer; her parents, Mary Beth and Walter Block; her in-laws, Ken and Oveda Hockenheimer and Tamra Lewis; her brother, Matthew Block, and his sons Richard and Robert; her beloved dog, Phoebe; and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins. She was preceded in death by her cherished cats Frank and Joe, and her dear Samoyed, Sapphire. She was a light to all who knew her, and her absence leaves a profound and irreplaceable void. A visitation will be held on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, beginning at 12:00 PM, with a memorial service to follow at 1:00 PM, at Allen Funeral Home, 4155 S Old State Road 37, Bloomington, Indiana 47401. Pastor David Schunk will officiate.

Tributes

Hannah Justine Block

December 29, 1979 - April 1, 2026