Blanche Hanson

Blanche Hanson nee Paulson, 84, of Northbrook, formerly of Glenview, Illinois and Kalamazoo, Michigan, died of breast cancer on December 9, 2025. Blanche was the loving mother of David Hanson (Barbara Kusek), Peter Hanson (Katrina), and Jane Hanson (Aaron Walker); cherished grandmother of Matthew, Elias, Jonas, and Bentley; and dear aunt of nine nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by Per K. Hanson, husband of 53 years, and brother Richard H. Paulson, III.
Blanche was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan and graduated from Kalamazoo High School in 1958. She graduated from the University of Michigan in 1962 and was a member of Collegiate Sorosis. She will be remembered as an artist, teacher, and dear friend.
Blanche's many graphite and watercolor paintings reflect her keen eye for detail and love of botanicals, textiles, and family connections. Her award-winning botanicals were shown at the Chicago Botanic Gardens (Flora '86 and Flora '88), Wilmette Library (Juried Art Show, 1991 and 1998; Solo Exhibits, 1991 and 1998), and Artemesia Gallery (Solo Exhibit, 1993). From 1996-1998, The Herringbone Dress toured the U.S. in "Objects of Personal Significance: Women Stretching the Definition of Still Life." In 2000, a solo exhibit at Scott Foresman Publishers in Glenview, Illinois showcased works from two still life series: Drawn Work and Balancing Now & Then. These paintings featured a collection of garments, photographs, and personal objects, all revealed in painstaking detail. Statements written to accompany these works were included as part of the exhibit. "I now think of the positive and negative, the backward and forward, the then and the now, as partners in the dance of ever-changing life. The process of life achieves its own equipoise. Our glimpse of life, somewhere between creation and chaos and back, will include balance if we're paying attention."
A memorial service will be held Saturday, January 17, 2026 at 2pm at Glenview Community Church, 1000 Elm Street, (at Glenview Road) Glenview, IL 60025. Interment will be private. Memorials may be made to Glenview Community Church.