Harry Hansen

Harry L. Hansen, a longtime resident of Albuquerque, passed away at home on December 3, 2013 at the age of 92. He served four years in the US Coast Guard during WWII. Harry was a graduate of University of Michigan where he majored in music and received his Masters at UNM. He was a member of St. Paul�s Lutheran Church where he enjoyed a time as choir director. Harry taught orchestra in APS for 32 years; was a member of the Albuquerque Symphony, playing for six years under Yusumi Takeda. He was a member of Rio Grande Jazz Society, �jamming� with his friends. He belonged to Rio Grande Model Yacht Club where he enjoyed sailing his remote controlled model yacht until his eyesight failed, then he just went to support his friends at Tingly Pond. Harry�s many interests and hobbies were golf, woodworking, and sailing the lakes of New Mexico. Harry wanted every child to have music in their lives. He loaned many a student an instrument and donated instruments to APS and the Youth Symphony. It gave him great pleasure to know he might have enabled a student to play. Music was his life. Surely there will be a heavenly orchestra for him to join. Harry is preceded in death by his wife of 46 years, Grace E. Hansen. He is survived by children, David Hansen of Houston, TX, Peter (Gwen) Hansen of Vista, CA, Suzanne Hansen of El Cajon, CA; stepchildren, Floyd Highfill of Las Cruses, NM, Grace Riggs of Chicago, IL, Reba (Richard) Renner of Pont Ludlow, WA. Among his other survivors are ten grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. A memorial will be held at St. Paul�s Lutheran Church, arrangements pending. The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, donations in his name be made to the Rio Grande Jazz Society or St. Paul�s Lutheran Church to support their scholarship programs.