Charles Edward Brodnax Hansell

Charles Edward Brodnax “Ned” Hansell died peacefully on July 31, 2012, at his home, Mimosa Hall, in Roswell, at age 82. The cause of death was congestive heart failure. An attorney, a Southern gentleman, a scholar, and a civic leader, Ned was beloved by family and friends for his graciousness, his sweetness, his generosity, and his honorable ways. Born and raised in Atlanta, the only child of prominent Atlanta attorney Granger Hansell and civic leader Sarah Belle Brodnax Hansell, Ned was a modest, reserved man who preferred to accomplish things behind the scenes instead of standing in the limelight. Born in Atlanta on October 26, 1929, he skipped a grade at Druid High School and graduated cum laude from the Taft School in Watertown, CT, at age 15. He was a 1950 college graduate of Emory University, where he was awarded membership in Phi Beta Kappa and Omicron Delta Kappa. He earned an LLB from Harvard Law School in 1953 and several months later married Sylvia Hydes, his wife for 56 years. During the first two years of marriage, Ned served on active military duty as an officer in the Judge Advocate General’s Division of the Air Force and was stationed at Dow Air Force Base in Bangor, ME. Thereafter he practiced continuously with the Atlanta law firm co-founded by his father, Hansell & Post as it was ultimately known, and its successor firm, Jones Day. He practiced with an intellectual, scholarly approach to law, focusing on business and corporations, wills and estates, and tax-exempt organizations. From 1971-1992, Ned was a leading trustee of Oglethorpe University, contributing to the school’s policy on raising its academic standards. He is an honorary lifetime trustee of the Georgia Foundation for Independent Colleges and was a steadfast trustee of the East-West Foundation, an international non-profit that brings Asian students to American colleges. He served on the national board of the Devereux Foundation, which helps children with emotional disabilities. He played a vital role in the development of Orchestra Atlanta (now Georgia Philharmonic) and was awarded the music director’s chair in 1995. He loved classical music and history, had a fastidious memory, and was known to quote Shakespeare and Latin. Ned was the fifth generation of his family to live in historic Mimosa Hall and was its longest resident. He made significant contributions to preserving the character of historic Roswell, including serving a term on the Roswell Historic Preservation Commission. He was a longstanding member of Roswell Presbyterian Church. Memberships included the Piedmont Driving Club, Capital City Club, and Jamestowne Society. Charles Edward Brodnax Hansell was predeceased by his wife Sylvia and daughter Dorothy Hansell DeRosa. Survivors include daughter Sally Hansell and grandchildren Virginia DeRosa, Hansell DeRosa, and Grady DeRosa. A memorial service will take place at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 5, at Roswell Presbyterian Church, 755 Mimosa Blvd, Roswell. The body will be interred at Oakland Cemetery. The family is grateful for the extraordinary care provided by Crossroads Hospice. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Oglethorpe University, the High Museum of Art, or Crossroads Hospice Foundation (1957 Lakeside Pkwy, Ste 500, Tucker, GA 30084).