Mr. Bruce Andreas Hanson

Bruce, 89, went to be with his Lord on April 23rd, following a long battle with pulmonary fibrosis. He was born November 22, 1929 in Salinas, CA, the son of Andreas Peter and Helen Victoria (Aarnodt) Hanson. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his sister Joyce (Hanson) O'Brien and adopted daughter Elizabeth Moore. He was survived by his wife of almost 50 years B. Beth (Warren) Hanson for 15 days; she just couldn't stand being without him. He is survived by daughter Susan Hanson; daughter Rebecca (Hanson) Vaughn (husband Josh) and grandchildren Calvin, Jackson, and Chloe; son Robert Hanson (wife Beth) and grandchildren Ryan, Brooke, and Warren; son Eric Hanson (wife Barbara) and grandchildren Moriah, Erica, Christian, and Marta; daughter Charlene Nielson (daughter of his first wife June), granddaughter Afton Mouton; great grandson Sebastian Hannon. Bruce received his Bachelors Degree in Geology from USC in 1952, after which he served two years in the US Army as a foreign deployed MP in the Korean War. He was honorably discharged as a Corporal. Following his service to our country, he advanced from the position of staff geologist to directorships and C-level positions during his career in geologic explorations. He was employed by Austin-Anderson, Union Carbide Nuclear Company, and Western Nuclear Incorporated, among others. His work in mine geology, research, and exploration took him and his family to Africa, Korea, Australia, Canada, and a large part of the Western and Southern USA as he worked to locate uranium/vanadium and petrochemical deposits. His adventures in foreign countries were not brief excursions, but frequently lasted two to three years as he guided company activities. During his work overseas Bruce obtained his private pilot's license and flew his team to remote potential mining sites, and family members to memorable locations. He held memberships in the American Institute of Mining and Engineering, the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists, and the Astralasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. His experiences traveling created a deep love for discovering other cultures, their people, and their foods. For several years in the 1980's Bruce worked for Wycliffe Bible Translators as a US based representative, communicating the mission and values of Wycliffe to recruit staff and raise funds for the organization. Bruce loved being surrounded by God's creation and spent many weekends and vacations with his family enjoying camping and hiking. He had an amazing ability to capture God's creation with photography. Christ was central in Bruce's life, bringing meaning and depth to all that he did, including raising his children and all of his personal relationships. Bruce was a devoted and loving husband to his wife Beth, and a wonderful father to his children. Despite his intrepid spirit, he served those he loved with kindness and was a humble, kind, and godly man. He is deeply missed by his children and grandchildren and friends. His remains will be interred at Ft. Logan National Cemetery.