Joan (Acton) Hanson |
| Posted 2008-02-07 by Pat Wilson |
| The Arizona Republic, Phoenix, Arizona March 13, 2005 Joan Acton Hanson, 68, of Tempe, AZ and Vashon Island, WA died unexpectedly on March 9th, 2005. She is survived by her husband Roland, sister Nancy, four children, Phyllis, Pamela, Julie, and Jeffrey, and four grandchildren, Ruth, Heather, Claire, and Charles. She was born July 21, 1936 in New York City, and grew up on Long Island in Baldwin, NY. After graduating from Wilson College in Chambersburg, PA in 1957, she was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study in Poitiers, France from 1957 to 1959. She returned to obtain a Masters of Arts in French from the University of Wisconsin in 1961, and began her career as a high school teacher at Grant High School in Portland, Oregon. T here she met and married Roland in 1962. After moving to Tempe, AZ in 1967, she continued her high school teaching career, then devoted time to raising her children before returning to teaching and obtaining a Masters of Counseling from Arizona State University in 1975. She was a counselor in the Phoenix Union High School District until she retired in 1999. Her work as a counselor went far beyond her official duties. Students she took under her wing are too numerous to count. She worked tirelessly to provide them with opportunities to expand their horizons and make their dreams come true. She was an ardent supporter of cultural exchange, and helped foreigners and Americans alike learn to appreciate the unique gifts that everyone has to offer. Her unwavering love and support were central to her family. She was also a friend to many, inspiring all she met with her vitality and energy. She and her husband purchased property in Vashon, WA in 1988 where they built a second home and an additional community of friends after retirement. She very much enjoyed life in both Washington and Arizona. Memorial services will be held at the Tempe First United Methodist Church on Saturday, March 19 at 2 p.m. Donations in memory of Joan Hanson may be made to NAMI-Arizona, 2210 N 7th St., Phoenix, AZ 85006. See Also: ASU Alumni |
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