Evelyn Smith Hansen

Evelyn Antoinette Hansen, age 92, of Charlotte, gracefully left our midst and entered Heaven on August 27, 2014 at Southminster Retirement Community. A celebration of her well-lived life will be held at 10 a.m., Monday, September 8th at South Mecklenburg Presbyterian Church with the Reverend Lynne Frech officiating. She will be interred alongside her husband, Robert Frank Hansen, at the Salisbury National Cemetery in Salisbury, NC. Evelyn was born September 26, 1921 in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of Elsie Katz and Antonie Smith. She married Robert in 1946, and they raised their five children in Lombard, Illinois: Larry W. (Virginia) Hansen of Charlotte; Carl R. (Sylvia) Hansen of Flushing, Michigan; Robyn E. (Donald) Gans of Weyauwega, Wisconsin; Mark H. (Christina) Hansen of Charlotte and Ruth E. Hansen of Charlotte. She had eight grandchildren: Bjorn, Kyle, Michael, Anne, Nicole, Laura, Kaelin and Evan; and four great-grandchildren Timothy, Seth, Liana and Chloe. In addition, her family included step-grandchildren Charles and Megan; and step-great-grandchildren Charles, Samuel and Madeleine. Evelyn's thirteen nieces and nephews loved her ready smile and cheerful disposition as they grew up, not to mention her molasses cookies. Evelyn is survived by her younger sister, Dorothy A. Smith, and was preceded in death by her older sister, LaVerne Glenn. Growing up, 'Evie' was fascinated by planes, ships and automobiles, crafting many elaborate scrapbooks to document the adventures of her idols, Amelia Earhart and Howard Hughes among others. She was especially captivated by flying and had dreams of becoming a pilot. During WWII, the government called for dogs to be sent to the war effort, after her mother refused Evie's request to send their beloved Irish setter, she signed herself up for the Women's Army Corps eventually rising to the rank of Sargent. During her time in the 3rd Air Force at Will Rogers Field in Oklahoma, Evie could name the plane, payload and engine all by the sound of the aircraft flying overhead. After raising their family in Illinois, Bob and Evie retired to Charlotte area in 1982, where they picked up Evie's dream car, a white 1957 Thunderbird — and boy, she loved tooling around in that car. She and Robert later sought out an even warmer climate in Lake Wales, Florida, where they enjoyed many enriching friendships. Throughout retirement and up to Robert's passing in 2001, they traveled extensively in their motor coach, creating several lasting friendships along the way. Prior to living at Southminster, Evie happily called Legacy Heights home for 12 years. The dear friends she made with both residents and staff filled her with joy, and she delighted in being the 'queen bee' of the facility with her seniority and good humor. Evie loved dressing up for Halloween, elaborately decorating her door for holidays, staying up well past midnight on New Year's Eve, having lunch with the Red Hatters, playing Scrabble, Bingo, Wii Bowling, and generally being a part of anything fun and engaging. She was a rock-star at trivia. Evelyn's smile was enchanting, her laugh engaging, and her spirit was one of pure gratefulness and contentment. Her love and nurture for her family and for life itself was unmistakable. She was truly a gal who embraced life and never wanted to miss a moment. The family will always be deeply grateful to the staff of Southminster for their loving care and keeping of Evelyn as well as their kind support of the entire family. In lieu of flowers, donations may be directed to the charity of your choice or The Horse Protection Society, 215 Miller Rd., China Grove, NC 28023 or South Mecklenburg Presbyterian Church, 8601 Bryant Farms Rd., Charlotte, NC 28277. Arrangements are in the care of Hankins & Whittington Funeral Service 1111 East Blvd. Charlotte, NC, 28203. Please share condolences online at www.hankinsandwhittington.com.