Patricia Mary Hanson

Beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend Patricia Mary Hanson (nee Brogan), born in Brooklyn, NY, on March 28, 1940, passed away peacefully in her home on February 14, 2025, surrounded by family and a house full of love. The daughter of the late Peter and Jane (Mackay) Brogan was the last surviving child of nine whose life was bookended by an inspiring self-sacrifice story to her siblings and husband. Her 84 years of a vibrant, full life were characterized most by her unwavering devotion to her family and faith, her kindness, loyalty, "Brogan grit," strait shooting, and edgy humor.
After helping to raise her siblings after the tragic loss of her mother at age 11 and graduating from high school, Patricia started as a secretary. During this time, she became an avid member of the Police Athletic League (P.A.L.). Rumor has it that she fell madly in love with a tall, handsome police officer who ran the P.A.L., who she fiercely pursued with tenacity. She married her beloved husband Charles Hanson on April 19,,1958, and they shared a lasting marriage for 67 years until the end with a grace-filled touch of goodbye with one another.
After she married, she left her job as a secretary to become a full-time "home engineer" (as she loved to call it). This was a passion she embraced, took very seriously, and excelled at. She ran a "tight ship" rivaling the top tier of managers, and there was no one who could fold a load of laundry quite like her! Her early years of marriage were spent in Oceanside, Long Island. There, she was a parishioner at Saint Anthony's Roman Catholic Church, where she was an active member. She had a zest for life, exemplified by her love of bowling, where she participated in several leagues over the years. In 1987, she moved to Slate Hill, NY, with her husband and children. It was here that she became an involved parishioner of Holy Cross Catholic Church. Patricia was a devoted catholic, and faith was so important to her. She loved spending mornings in adoration and always had you in her prayers.
Patricia spent her full summers in upstate NY at "the farm" in Hamden, NY. She made many special memories during those summer days when she opened her house and her heart to family and friends to share in her joy for the simple things in life. Her nieces and nephew joined the family for the summer, and later on, grandchildren who all enjoyed the pond days, horseshoe matches, bingo, and roasting marshmallows at the campfire. The house was always open, and there was always an extra friend to have dinner with her at exactly 5 PM.
Patricia was highly dedicated and loved her family unconditionally. She was an avid cheerleader, always competing through her children and grandchildren, and a sudden shriek above a cowbell in the excitement of a play was not uncommon for her. Five decades of traveling to full-season sports and activities as a mother and many hours of
her life were spent on the sideline of athletic fields supporting her children, grandchildren, and their teammates all the way to the end. She was our greatest fan.
An avid Mets fan, she often chatted highlights to her grandsons after a never-missed game, but baseball was not her only sports passion. She loved hockey and football as well and was frequently found yelling at the TV to cheer on her favorite team.
One of Patricia's favorite pastimes was her senior clubs. She loved her Pacers dearly. Her days playing cards with her special friends were some of her favorite moments, and she cherished those relationships as they grew older together. She especially loved her trips and line dancing. She was very social, and even during a brief stint of living with her daughter in Byram, NJ, she joined a senior center, making new friends there and embracing the hospital staff of Hackettstown Medical Center as her family.
Rest in peace, dear mom. You will be missed, but your spirit will live forever in our hearts.
Patricia is survived by her beloved husband, Charles J. Hanson. Son Matthew (Mary), daughter Trish Peterson (Rob), daughter Jennifer McCracken (Dave), son Eric (Terry). Grandchildren Bobby (Patty), Brian (Katie), Drew (Bria), Luke, Quinn, Brianna, Kylee, Bella, Jack, and Grace. Great grandchildren Lucy, Connor, Liam, and Cole. Sister-in-law Kathy. Nieces Jane, Doreen, Lisa, Tracy, Tara, Lauren; nephews Edward, Thomas, Brian, Jim; many nieces, nephews and grand nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her parents, brothers, Peter, James, Edward and Joe; sisters, Veronica, Geraldine, Mary and Barbara.
Friends and relatives are invited to attend the visitation on Tuesday, February 18th,from 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM at Applebee-McPhillips Funeral Home, 130 Highland Ave Middletown, NY. A funeral service will be held Wednesday, February 19th at 11:00 AM at Holy Cross Church, 626 County Rd. 22 Middletown NY 10940.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in honor of our mom to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html
Or
Tunnels to Towers Foundation
https://t2t.org/donate/