Christian Hansen

Christian Hansen was born on Jan. 28, 1922 in State College, Penn.

He was the oldest son of Magda and Nicholai Hansen, recent immigrants from Denmark. He moved with his family to Tom’s River, N.J. where spent his childhood.

He fell in love with Edna May Benck during World War II. She was a nurse, and he was an Air Force pilot with a fortuitous case of appendicitis. They were married in December 1946, and spent 56 amazing years together.

During those years, they raised six children, taught thousands, and did their part to make the world a better place.

Chris was a high school shop teacher who excelled at inspiring and supporting students with learning issues, at a time when special education support classes were not even thought of for high school students. He received numerous awards for excellence in teaching from Eagle Rock High School, the Southern California school where he taught for more than 30 years.

In 1981, Chris retired from teaching, and he and Edna moved from Sierra Madre, Calif. to Whidbey Island. Over the course of the next 20 years, Chris single-handedly constructed, added to, and remodeled the geodesic dome dream home that he had promised Edna he would someday build her.

Chris was a man of his word, always. To his family and friends, the “Dome” stands as a symbol of who Chris is; a beautifully crafted, solidly constructed and innovative creation, built with love and care.

Within this “Dome Home,” Chris and Edna created the “Learning Park,” a school for children ages 3 to 8, that stressed movement and sensory integration learning, long before the concepts became popular teaching methods. The Learning Park served the children of South Whidbey for 18 years. Everyone who knew Chris understood that he was the anchor that kept Edna’s world stable.

Chris was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Edna, in 2002. He is survived by his six children; Kim Williams (Langley); Kip Hansen (Chico, Calif.); Sky Hansen (Vashon); Shawn Hansen (Homer, Ark.); Dean Hansen (Olympia); and Kama Hunter (Tacoma). He also leaves behind 14.5 grandchildren (Dean has one on the way), and 15 great-grandchildren.

Christian succumbed to complications of Parkinson’s disease and died peacefully on Monday morning, July 17, 2006.

Needless to say, he will be greatly missed by all those who knew him. But we know that Edna’s been waiting impatiently for him these past four years with a bunch of projects for him to do, and we know it was time for him to go to her. Goodbye Dad — we love you.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 3 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Freeland. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Booth Gardner Parkinson’s Research Center.