Michelle Diane Hansen

It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved wife, mother, sister, and friend, Michelle Diane Hansen (née Arnold). On January 1, 2024, Michelle peacefully departed this world at the age of 57.

Born in Elgin, Illinois, on October 20, 1966, Michelle graduated from Barrington High School in 1984. She then went on to dedicate more than two decades of her life to the children she transported to and from school while working as a school bus driver for Barrington Transportation Company. Michelle had a remarkable connection with these children and knew them and their families by name.

Michelle was a true child of the '80s. Her passions included rock music, true crime documentaries, and dogs - especially Golden Retrievers. But the greatest joy of all for Michelle was her two sons, Paul and Stephen. She poured her heart into raising her boys, imparting her love for the Chicago Cubs, campfires, and the great outdoors through countless family road trips.

In a private ceremony in 2010, Michelle married her longtime coworker, Charles ("Chuck") Hansen in Las Vegas, marking the culmination of a decade-long courtship filled with love and laughter. Together, the couple shared a passion for movies, concerts, and amusement parks.

Michelle was preceded in death by her parents, Alice and Harry Arnold, and her brother, Harry Arnold, Jr. She is survived by her devoted husband, Chuck, of Cary, Illinois; her sons, Paul Ruiz of Arlington, Virginia, and Stephen Ruiz of Chicago, Illinois; and her siblings, Susan Lill of Williams Bay, Wisconsin, and James Arnold of Wauconda, Illinois.

A celebration of Michelle's life will be held on Saturday, January 20, 2024, at the Bright Oaks Clubhouse, 40 Red Oak Trail, Cary, Illinois, 60013. Friends and family are welcome to join us, pay their respects, and share memories of Michelle.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).