NANCY JAN HANSEN
Kind, charming, intellectual and artistic Nancy Hansen passed away peacefully at home in Villa Grande on October 31, 2016.
She was born on September 15, 1935 in Alameda, California to Juna and Bill Hansen.
Her
early years were spent at public schools in Oakland, where she formed
many life-long friendships and developed an early sense of social
justice and morality, most particularly in the socratic seminars of
Hyman (“Doc”) Haydis. She had many happy memories of working at Feather
River Family Camp. Throughout her childhood and young adult years Nancy
studied ballet with Raoul Pause at his studio in Oakland. After
graduating from Oakland Technical High School in 1953, she started her
university studies and studied theater with Hedwiga Reicher in Los
Angeles .
In
1961 she graduated from U.C. Berkeley with a Bachelor's Degree in
Dramatic Art, married and started her family. In the 60s she cared for
her own two daughters and godson, as well as many other young ones in
her home daycare business in Berkeley, where she was also involved with
the performing arts and cultural invigoration of the times.
Nancy
worked as a professional, and for the love of it, at many Bay Area
theaters and film companies, and developed The Actors School in Albany
in 1970.
She
spent twenty five years in administrative positions, pioneering
programs in bioethics during the 70’s and 80’s at Providence Hospital in
Oakland, San Leandro Hospital, Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital and Laguna
Honda Hospital in San Francisco. (1970 - 1995)
In
1981 she discovered the small community of Villa Grande on the Russian
River, and soon purchased the Rose Cottage that would be her favorite
home and a treasured weekend getaway for friends and family, who were
sure to find engaging conversation, fun scrabble and crosswords, along
with a glass of chardonnay, on the sometimes sunny deck among the
redwoods.
In
retirement in 1997 she enjoyed studies in ballet, history and theater
at Santa Rosa Community College as well as travels to Europe and yearly
reunions with her group of grammar school girlfriends.
In
these years she began her community involvement with Pegasus Theater in
Monte Rio as an actor, director, box office manager, sometime set
painter and all round community member, eventually serving as Artistic
Director for ten years between 2003 and 2013.
She
is survived by her daughters Kristin Argue and Tati Argue, grandson
Athos Argue-Hassanein, sister Kip Hudson and brother-in-law Jay Hudson,
nephews Bill Hudson (Kasey) and John Hudson (Jan) and great-nieces and
nephews, cousin Diane Cosgrove Barth, godson Aaron Baldwin and his
family, the Zergers, the Dutchers, Tech High class of 53, the
Robb-Wilders, Mark Gregory Wichorek, the Argues, Pegasus Theater, JoAnne
Young, the House-Edmunds, Noel Yates, the Sampsons, the Boschs, Ray
Gerba, Friends of Villa Grande and many more dear friends from the Bay
Area and the River. During her life she had meaningful personal
partnerships with John Argue, Joseph Riley and Dan McCarty.
Nancy
was predeceased by her dearest friend, Hank McDonnell, with whom she
shared many of these activities from the year 1939 to 2002, as well as
brilliant conversations, love of the arts, courage of convictions and
copious laughter.
Gifts in her memory may be made to Friends of Villa Grande (villagrande.org) or Pegasus Theater (pegasustheater.com).
There will be a celebration of her life January 7th, at the Monte Rio Community Center, at 2:00.
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