Theodore George "Ted" Hanson

Theodore George Hanson, affectionately known as Ted, passed away on July 9, 2025, in Bloomington, MN at the age of 72.
Ted was a loving and devoted husband to wife Aida Luz (nee Vargas) Hanson, a caring father to sons George (Monica) and Alex (Miya), and a doting grandfather to Gabriel and Elijah. Ted held a special place in his heart for his nephew Brian (Colleen) Folkers and their children Jackson, Cora, and Betty, and his niece Beth Folkers and nephew Steve Folkers, whom he treated as his own. Ted loved and cared for Aida's sister, Martha Vargas Heck.
His life was marked by the sad and early loss of his parents, George Gabriel Jr. and Catherine Margareta (nee Walz) Hanson. Later in life, he lost his beloved sister and her husband, Margaret Ann and John Benard Folkers. Margaret became a maternal figure in his life after the passing of their parents.
Ted is survived by his brother Tom and his children Max and Mike, but preceded in death by Tom's wife Jean and Ted's other brother Bob.
Ted was born on September 15, 1952, in Hammond, Indiana. He grew up in Brookfield, Illinois, where he attended St. Barbara Primary School, followed by Lyons Township High School, where he was part of the Russian Club, a language he enjoyed sprinkling into conversations throughout his life. In his earlier years, he got a thrill out of scuba diving and sky diving, hobbies he traded in once he started his family.
Professionally, Ted was very proud of his accomplishments in cybersecurity software consulting, where he was respected for his expertise, work ethic and role as a mentor.
Personally, Ted was known to be a giving, generous person with a warm, infectious smile. He was the go-to person for those in need of help. From home repair and remodeling projects to working on cars to repairing toys for his grandchildren, he could fix anything, always ready with the right tools and in-depth knowledge no matter the job at hand or distance he needed to travel. "Papito can fix it!" was the mantra among his family.
Music was integral to who Ted was. Ted and Aida met in 1977 while attending piano lessons in Chicago. Music always filled their home. They passed on their love of music to both George and Alex, who learned to play several instruments; some of Ted's most cherished moments were when his sons played. Ted played the guitar himself and every now and then, if we were lucky, we got to hear him sing. And to Aida's dismay, Ted was a stereophile always on the hunt for his next deal on stereo equipment.
Ted was also known for being a great cook, many noting that eating at his table was akin to eating at a fine dining restaurant. He penned as the "Gargantuan Gourmet" in the company newsletter at Analyst International, which people read for his recipes and witty humor. Some of his signature dishes were his duck pate and beef burgundy.
Ted loved sports. His team was Da Bears; he was devoted no matter how terribly they played. If there was a football game on air, it was playing in his house. Watching and talking football with someone he loved was one of his favorite things to do. He also loved watching and playing golf, and though he was better at watching golf than playing golf, his time on the links was special to him because of the people with whom he played. In his off season, you could find Ted walking the aisles of Costco hunting for a good deal.
Ted was stoic, sentimental and selfless. His favorite place to be was surrounded by those he loved, to whom he was eternally devoted. His gargantuan legacy - never held back by his follicularly and vertically challenged physique - will be deeply missed and forever cherished by all who knew him.
An open-casket viewing will be held on Thursday, July 24th from 4:00 - 7:00 PM at Washburn-McReavy Bloomington Chapel, located at 2300 W Old Shakopee Rd, Bloomington, MN 55431. A mass will follow on Friday, July 25th from 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM at The Church of St. Edward, located at 9401 Nesbitt Ave S, Bloomington, MN 55437, with an open-casket viewing before mass from 10:00 - 11:00 AM and lunch immediately after mass at the church. The mass will be live-streamed. www.stedwardschurch.org/funerals
A celebration of life will follow at Surly Brewing, his favorite brewery, starting at 3:00 PM, located at 520 Malcolm Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to the American Cancer Society in Ted's memory, honoring his fighting spirit in his battle against cancer. www.Washburn-McReavy.com
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