Supplier Hannu Ahonen died in Porvoo on April 14, 2024. He was 68 years old, born in Saarijärvi on May 23, 1955.
The information about Ahonen’s passing was not only shocking but also surprising. He died of an illness that hadn’t shown any serious signs of itself ten days earlier.
Ahonen spent his entire working career in Tekniikan Maailma. Starting his studies at the Technical University and his interest in cars led the young man in 1979 to apply as an assistant to the magazine.
In 1986, Ahonen was appointed TM’s permanent editor. He threw himself into his new job with enthusiasm and wanted to develop himself into the best possible journalist in a field for which there is no real training. In-depth basic knowledge of technology and good driving skills were of course useful, but he learned the trade by doing.
Ahonen served Tekniikan Maailma continuously until his retirement in 2018. His specialty was car test drives and comparison tests. He also became deeply familiar with aviation, military history, and weapon and defense equipment technology.
Ahonen’s contribution as a creator and developer of car test driving measurements was significant. He was very particular about the technical quality and condition of the measuring equipment, and if the measuring conditions did not meet his requirements, no measurements were taken. This sometimes caused costs that were not necessarily understood at all levels of management. Despite this, he did not agree to compromise his principles, and that was an excellent thing for TM.
In the work community Hannu was simply known as OK. The nickname came from the fact that he usually responded to requests, even complicated ones, with a short nod of “ok”. However, the tone of the response varied, and a lot could be inferred from that.
The association of full-time suppliers of the automotive and transport industry, Auto- ja liikkensverdiðart ry, was always close to Hannu Ahonen’s heart. Over the years, he was active in the association in several different positions and for nearly twenty years on the board of its foundation. He was the chairman of the foundation in 2016–2018.
In Hannu was a holiday apartment in the mountains of the east coast of Sicily in a place with a stunning view over the Strait of Messina to mainland Italy. He spent a lot of time there, especially during his retirement days, and liked to invite his friends there as well. Many people in his close circle experienced memorable moments as his guests on that island rich in culture and nature.
Unfortunately, that time is behind us now. Hannu left us humanly far too soon.
Martti Merilinna
Hannu Ahonen’s longtime colleague and friend.
#Obituary #Uncompromising #car #tester