Richard Hansen

He was born July 18, 1933, in Chicago, the youngest son of Clarence and Hazel (Andersen) Hansen. He met the love of his life, Theresa Loksa, at a house party and they were married Jan. 13, 1963, in Chicago. She preceded him in death on March 21, 2019.

Survivors include two daughters, Karen (Larry) Hansen Apfelbaum and Susan (Robert) Demetris; two grandchildren, James and Nicole Demetris; and his cat, Beau. In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by one brother, Clarence, and an infant son, David.

A funeral Mass will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, May 15, at Our Lady of the Wayside, 434 W. Park St., Arlington Heights. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Private interment will be Friday at Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Hillside, with military rites accorded. Lauterburg & Oehler Funeral Home, Arlington Heights, is in charge of arrangements. The Mass for Richard may be live streamed at https://www.youtube.com/live/boeHiR53Qoc

Memorials may be made to Our Lady of the Wayside.

After serving 17 months with the U.S. Army in Korea, Richard received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Illinois in 1958. Following graduation, wanting to work for a small accounting firm, he took the train from his home in Itasca to downtown Chicago. From a pay phone, he made his first and only call to Baumann, Finney & Co., which gave him an interview and a job that day.

He worked in accounting until he was 84 years old, believing in the value of work and that it kept his mind sharp. In his final job, a part-time position at HTP America, Inc. that lasted more than 26 years, he worked for the best boss he ever had, Jeff Noland.

Richard was a longtime, devoted Chicago Bears fan, a former season ticketholder and attended the 1963 NFL Championship Game at Wrigley Field, in which the Bears beat the New York Giants. He enjoyed Jane Austen books and movies, especially “Pride and Prejudice,” and was a former volunteer for Chicagoland Dog Rescue. He and Theresa were avid bridge players; after she passed, he enjoyed playing Texas Hold’em with his family. Richard always enjoyed dining out, especially if his meal was accompanied by a Scotch sour.

In his final weeks, Richard was baptized into the Catholic Church, which made him (and, no doubt, his beloved wife) very happy.