David L Hansen

David L. Hansen, age 75, of Vermilion, Ohio passed away unexpectedly from a heart-related event on Sunday, September 28, 2025, at Mercy Regional Medical Center in Lorain, OH.

Born on November 26, 1949, in Toledo, Ohio, David attended Roy C. Start High School through his junior year, graduating from Sylvania high school, and went on to earn an associate degree from Owens Community College. Stationed in Germany and Turkey, he proudly served his country in the U.S. Air Force for 4 years. After being honorably discharged, David began his career in restaurant management. Over the course of the years, he was a manager for Ponderosa, The Market, Damon's, and Cracker Barrel. He also built a successful career as a real estate agent and broker, eventually opening his own independent brokerage. David also owned & operated Colonial Cleaning Company for many years.

David was well-respected throughout his career for his leadership and work ethic. You could always count on him to bring humor and laughter to the workplace while running a well operated business.

While managing The Market restaurant in Sandusky, OH, David met Helen (Neal) Hansen of Huron, Ohio. They worked together for a short time before both moving on to other career paths. Little did they know that 10 years later they would reconnect and discover that they were soul-mates. Two years after reconnecting they married. David often referred to Helen as "the love of his life" and it showed to be true in their marriage. Helen was David's "sweetie" as he would call her. In their years of marriage they lived in Toledo,OH, Raleigh-Durham, NC, Charlotte, NC, and finally settled down in Vermilion, OH for the past 26 years.

In retirement, David found joy in travelling with Helen, specifically on Carnival Cruise Ships. He and Helen enjoyed 11 cruises. One of David's favorite destinations was Grand Turk and most recently Half Moon Cay. He was always looking for their next cruise to book. During David's 11 years of retirement, he enjoyed gardening, bird watching in his backyard, and spending time with his family. He had a deep love for Labrador retrievers, rescuing his most recent lab, Daisy.

David is survived by his beloved wife of 33 years, Helen; his daughters, Kathy (Jeff) Myers, Wendy (Casey) Walker, and Jessica (Amber) Hansen; stepchildren, Natalie (Shadd) Zielinski and Wes (Jeanine) Orshoski; grandchildren, Samantha (Michael) Boudreau, Allyson (Grant) Bosch, Jacob (Gianna) Myers, Madison and Abigail Walker, Justin, Joshua, and Ashley Zielinski; great-granddaughter, Paisley; sister, Cheryl Hoffman; and nephews, Jon (Matt) Hoffman and Jim (Julie) Hoffman.

He was preceded in death by his parents, LeRoy and Gertrude (Koeppe) Hansen, and his first wife, Chris Burkett.

Family and friends will be received on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, from 12:00 noon until the time of the service at 2:00 p.m. at Riddle Funeral Home, 5345 South Street, Vermilion, Ohio.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Lake Erie Labrador Retriever Rescue, PO Box 135 Bath, PA 44210, in honor of David’s love for dogs.

Online condolences may be shared at www.riddlefuneralhome.com