Merwin Desmond Gregory Hansen

Greg graduated from High School in Richmond, California and enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1946. After leaving the Military he attended The University of California at Berkeley and Washington State College where he received a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering and began his engineering career as project coordinator for the Los Angeles County Flood Control District and later worked in the Engineering Department for Vernon, California. In 1951 he married Vernice Payton. They had four children.

While at the City of Vernon he did post-graduate work in public administration at the University of Southern California. His first position in public administration was as City Administrator of Dixon, California. Shortly after Alaska's major earthquake and tsunami in 1964 he became the City Manager of Valdez, Alaska and worked closely with the Corps of Engineers in moving the entire City including the freight dock and small boat harbor five miles. He served as auctioneer of the lots in the new location.

He returned to California to become City Manager of Lemoore. Later he was Chief Engineer for the Lake Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and then Executive Officer. In 1975 he began a 20-year career in motel management at South Lake Tahoe, California, and in Nevada and West Plains. In retirement he invested in commercial real estate in Arizona and Missouri.

He had been President of the Washington State College chapter of the American Roadbuilders' Association, President of the South Lake Tahoe Motel Association and Chairman of the Lake Tahoe Visitors Bureau. He has been a real estate agent in California and a real estate broker in Nevada. Also registered Civil Engineer in California, Alaska, and Nevada. He attended St. Paul Lutheran church and was a member of the Elks and West Plains Car Club. Past memberships included American Civil Engineers Association, International City Managers' Association, Lions club and Kiwanis Club. He did volunteer work for Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels and transported cancer patients to various hospitals in Missouri for the American Cancer Society.

He liked traveling, hunting, flying, playing golf, and playing cards with friends. He made many trips to Canada to hunt moose and spend time with his three brothers. He learned to fly at West Plains Municipal Airport.

On October 5, 1996, he married Diane Edmonds. They traveled to Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, many European countries, Canada and much of Alaska including Prudhoe Bay.

Greg is survived by his wife Diane, two sons: Kurt in Colorado Springs, Colorado and Clark of Flagstaff, Arizona, two daughters: Jeanine Hill, Phoenix, Arizona and Cherie Geffert of Prescott, Arizona, and stepson Michael Edmonds of West Plains, Missouri.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.funerariadelangelmission.com for the Gregory Hansen family.