Ronald Soren Hanson

1931 - 2019

Ronald Soren Hanson
1931 - 2019
Ronald Soren Hanson, age 88, passed away November 21, 2019, surrounded by his family in Salt Lake City from natural causes.
Ronald was born in Logan, Utah, February 27, 1931, the son of Russell and Victoria Hanson. He married Shirley Gayle Miller of Hyrum in the Logan LDS temple on September 11th, 1957. He retired as Vice Chairman of the Board and President of Zions First National Bank, and was the former President of The First National Bank of Logan. He attended Logan City Schools and graduated from Utah State University in 1955. While a senior at Logan High, he began his banking career as a check filer at The First National Bank of Logan.
He contracted polio at the age of six but was able to overcome the many physical disabilities with dedication, hard work, and service to the community.
At the age of 38, after having served on several key committees, he was elected as President of the Utah Bankers Association by his fellow bankers.
He is a 1956 graduate of the Colorado School of Banking, University of Colorado, and a 1962 graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School, University of Washington. His graduation thesis entitled The State of Deseret: A History of Money and Banking in a Mormon Theocracy; is in the permanent library of the University.
Ronald Hanson served as a Director of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco from 1976 to 1979. At that time he was the only Utah banker elected to that Board in the history of the Federal Reserve. He later served as Director of the Salt Lake City branch of the Federal Reserve of San Francisco.
He is a former member of the American Bankers Association Special Committee on the Presidential Commission on Financial Structure and Regulation, is a former member of the ABA Governing Council and the ABA Government Relations Council, where he served on the Executive Committee.
For eleven years he was a Director of Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Corporation of Oakland, California, and was a member of the Kaiser Retirement Plans Investment Committee.
In 1976 he was awarded the Utah State University Alumni Merit Citation, in 1982 the Distinguished Executive Award from the USU College of Business, and in 1986 the Distinguished Service Award, USU's highest alumni recognition. He and his wife Shirley are members of the Old Main Society of USU. An active member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity, he served twice as President and was awarded the honor of Significant Sig.
Active in civic affairs, he was Chairman of Logan Regional Hospital (IHC) and was a Trustee and Chairman of the Finance Committee at Holy Cross Hospital in Salt Lake. He was Chairman of the Intermountain Research and Medical Foundation, the fund raising arm of IHC's Urban Central Region Hospitals for medical research and education. He was a member of the Rotary Club of Salt Lake where he served as Treasurer. He is a member of the Salt Lake Country Club and friends of the Lost Baller Group.
Ron was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where, in his youth, he earned his Eagle Scout Award. He also served as a Bishop and member of the Stake Presidency of Logan, Utah University Second Stake. Teaching the Book of Mormon was his passion and he was a learned student of the scriptures. He served a mission for the church in Great Britain and was the author of four books all pertaining to the history and tenets of the LDS church in Utah.
Ron had many hobbies which included golf, reading, traveling, and numismatics which is the collection of rare coins and currency specializing in the collection of early Mormon money. He also enjoyed snowmobiling, boating, motorcycling, and 4-wheeling with his old friends from Logan.
He was preceded in death by his brother Russell Courtney Hanson (Barbara). He is survived by his sister, Gloria Wright (Amos), and brother in law, Larry W. Miller (Lindi), and sister in law, Marilyn Miller.
Ron and Shirley have four children, David Ronald (Debbie) of Denver, Colorado, Dr. John Russell of Salt Lake City, Michael Miller (Hayley) of Farmington, Utah, Jacqueline Davies (Richard) of Salt Lake City. They have also been blessed with eleven grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held Tuesday, December 3rd, 2019, at 11:00 a.m., at the Arlington Hills Ward, 1300 Fairfax Rd., Salt Lake City. Prior to the service there will be a viewing from 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. There will be a viewing at Larkin Mortuary, 260 E. South Temple, Salt Lake City, Monday, December 2nd, 2019, from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Interment will take place in the Logan City Cemetery.