Colleen Hansen

Colleen M. Hansen, of Overland Park, KS, passed away in her home on September 21 after a short battle with cancer. A memorial service will be held at McGilley-Hoge Funeral Home, 8024 Santa Fe Drive, Overland Park, from 6-8 PM on Friday September 28, 2012. Colleen is survived by a brother Peter J. Neill of Englewood, Florida, daughter Elisabeth Hansen Barber of Shawnee KS, son Peter of Gardner, KS and son Seth of Olathe, KS and grandchildren Cooper and Alexis of Olathe and Benjamin of Gardner. She was preceded in death by her father Donald G. Neill, and her mother Ruby V. Neill.

Colleen was born on September 19, 1943 in Kankakee, IL. Colleen grew up in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan and was a graduate of Grosse Pointe High School. She received a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s Degree in Library Science from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. As a librarian, she worked in cataloguing at the Hesburgh Library at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend Indiana and retired in 2011 as Head of Special Bibliographic Projects at the Linda Hall Library in Kansas City Missouri.

Colleen traveled extensively, most recently to Scotland, Turkey, Crimea and Russia. She was an avid reader of all literary genres, a creative gardener, loved her current pets Annie and Zoey and spent lots of time with her children and grandchildren. She always had at least one, usually more, handcraft project in progress which included knitting and cross stitch items including hats, scarves many other things.

She will be greatly missed by everyone who had the good fortune to know her.

The family asks that donations, in lieu of flowers be made to the Livestrong Foundation (Livestrong.org) or ISC Hospice, 5401 College Blvd., Suite 112, Overland Park, KS, 66211.