Nancy W. Hansen

Nancy Drake Woodring Hansen passed away on December 5 at the age of 79. Nancy was born in Summit, New Jersey, in 1944 to E. Douglas Woodring and Albertina Drake Woodring. She often shared stories of shenanigans with her brothers Mahlon “Ding” Woodring, Douglas Woodring and sister Deborah Woodring.

She married her husband of more than 50 years, Harold Roger Hansen, on May 27, 1965, and became a mother to three children. Nancy loved her family and her friends and loved to have fun. An avid fan of ’50s and ’60s rock and roll, the Beatles and Elvis Presley were on regular rotation in her home and car. She and “Rog” were often seen cutting the rug at local community events.

Her creativity and love of the arts manifested in the beautiful gardens she created at her homes in Keene, then Spofford, then back in Keene; her painting and quilting; and the couples costumes she had such fun designing for the annual Nurse’s Halloween party.

Nancy was a longtime volunteer and supporter at the Thorne Sagendorph art gallery at Keene State College, Linda’s Closet, the Ladies Charitable Society in Keene, and Planned Parenthood of NNE. She served as board member and board chair of MAPS Counseling Services in Keene.

In recent years, she and Roger spent their summers in Craigville, MA, in a community in which her family has lived for three generations. She developed many close friendships in the community and played an active role with the Christian Camp Meeting Association in Craigville.

In addition to raising her own family, Nancy had the opportunity to touch countless lives as an early childhood educator in Cherry Hill, NJ; Woodstock, VT; Maplewood, NJ; the Keene Public Schools and St. Joseph School Preschool in Keene. She received her undergraduate and graduate degrees in early childhood education from Colby Junior College for Women, Elliot Pearson School of Child Study at Tufts University, Glassboro State Teachers College and Keene State College. Nancy loved working with children and could not pass a baby or child without stopping to engage them.

“Throughout the time that we were raising our own children, I got great pleasure and satisfaction from teaching children at various levels in many different locations,” she shared recently with her graduating class at Summit High School. “My first love in teaching always came back to the pre-schoolers. Their innocence, curiosity and enthusiasm were a tonic for me. Additionally, there was the thrill of seeing them learn and grow at a great rate in those formative years.”

Never one to pass up a challenge, she took part in the “100-mile” swim at the YMCA and was one of the first to scale the facility’s new climbing wall after its move to Summit Road. She took her role in bowling league (somewhat) seriously, always trying to beat her personal best and thrilled when her team took home the trophy.

Nancy is survived by her husband, Roger; brother Douglas Woodring and his wife Carol; her three children, Sonja Leslie and her husband Shawn of Surry, NH, Chris Hansen and his wife Lynn of North Chelmsford, MA, and Inga Hansen of Keene; four grandchildren, Ashley Copeland and her husband Jonathan of Keene, Elizabeth Lehr and her husband Evan of Keene, Laura Hansen of Las Vegas and Kyle Hansen of Charleston, SC; and four great grandchildren, Julia, Kyla, Henry and Brooke.

Having her four great grandchildren here in Keene meant the world to her, and she—throughout her life—was committed to keeping family close through family activities, dinners and vacations. She will be deeply missed by her family and her friends. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Nancy’s memory to Colby Sawyer College in New London, NH, and Planned Parenthood of Northern New England.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 20, 2024 at 11:00 am at the United Church of Christ, 23 Central Square, Keene, NH.