Shirley Hanson was at her happiest when she was doing one of two things, helping people or making them laugh. She did both of course.  At the age of 71, she died on September 19.

A beloved mother to her only daughter Dana, she is survived by her sister Gail Owens; her brothers Tom, Ken, Ron and Allyn “Butch” Hanson; nieces; nephews; extended family and friends.

Shirley was born in Valley City, ND and attended Menomonee Falls High School and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, where she studied English literature and graduated in 1965.  In 1970, Shirley married Alan Hansen, who passed away in 2006.

She was an adventurous and open-hearted woman who loved international travel. Whether it was watching the bullfights in Barcelona, Spain, living on a kibbutz in Israel or sailing around the Great Barrier Reef her journeys were something she reminisced about for much of her life.

For more than 30 years, Shirley dedicated her life to helping people as a social worker, offering services with kindness, humanity and without judgment in Cook County, IL and Waukesha County, WI.  She was an idealist who chose not to see the see differences in people. Rather, she located the goodness in everyone. 

She was a proud American and a dedicated Democrat who loved to talk politics. The election of Barack Obama was something she celebrated

Call it spunk or gumption, Shirley had more than her share. She turned a somersault with her nephew Harry while parasailing in Jamaica, posed provocative questions around the Thanksgiving dinner table and negotiated the sale of every purchase.

She had an infectious laugh and an irrepressible joy. She leaves behind a legacy of love and will be deeply missed.

Visitation will be at the Funeral Home on September 28th, from 2:00PM until time of Memorial Service at 4:00PM. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to The Women’s Center, Inc (www.twcwaukesha.org), United Way in Waukesha County (www.unitedwaywaukesha.org) or the Democratic Party of Wisconsin (www.wisdems.org).