Dennis Barton Hansen

With many joyful memories in our hearts, we celebrate the life of Dennis Barton Hansen, who passed away peacefully at age 75 on Monday, March 30th in Whittier, CA. Dennis was born on November 4th, 1944 in Preston, Idaho. In early 1946, his family moved to Southern California where he grew up eating pancakes made by his father on Saturday mornings, radishes from the family's garden, and his mother's bread & gravy. During his childhood, his Uncle Dee introduced him to the Eastern Sierra, sparking a lifelong love for the Owens Valley. Dennis attended BYU, and then earned his law degree from UCLA. He was a trust and estates attorney, and partner, at Overton, Lyman & Prince in Los Angeles for 47 years. Dennis' love of travel began with a two year missionary trip to New Zealand in the mid 1960's, and he inspired the same passion for adventure in his family. Together they shared many memorable travels across the globe, but most treasured were their annual family camping trips in the Eastern Sierra, and excursions to Las Vegas. People were often surprised to learn of Dennis' love of Las Vegas, including counting down the days until his daughters were old enough to join him at the black jack table. Dennis loved to cook, and showed his love for others by preparing delicious meals. Thankfully he did not take the famous Hansen Family taco recipe to his grave, and tacos will be enjoyed in his memory for generations to come. Another cherished holiday tradition was baking Libby's pumpkin pie with his daughters, using the stand mixer on the kitchen floor. As an avid Dodgers fan, Dennis held season tickets for almost as long as his law career, with Dodger Dogs and peanuts mandatory at every game. If a baseball game wasn't on, he was probably watching Star Trek, part of his endless love of science fiction. Dennis will be dearly missed and remembered by many family and friends. None more so than Elaine Hansen, his wife of 34 years, daughters Hilary Hansen (Copenhagen, Denmark) and Haley Hansen (Portland, Oregon), and the extended Hansen, Ozaroski, Herald, and Partridge families. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his memory to Shelter's Right Hand in Whittier, where he had volunteered as Thrift Shop Treasurer since 2015.