Grace chose a beautiful day to leave this earth - the sun was shining and the air sparkling, ending with a Burnt Orange sunset. Born in Chicago, she came to Texas as fast as she could. A Longhorn since she first graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in 1949, and a Master’s in Education in 1951, she mastered the raised-eyebrow “Teacher Look” while in Germany, at All Saints’ Day School in Austin, and then, with deaf and hearing impaired children, in Austin ISD (the little white school next to Lee Elementary), and the Texas School for the Deaf. Professor Hanson founded the Education of the Deaf teacher preparation program in the UT Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders in 1962. She grew the program, which was at one time one of the largest in the US, training hundreds of teachers and speech pathologists at the undergraduate and graduate levels in the language development and reading instructions for deaf children. She assisted in development of the Statewide Curriculum for the Deaf, and established lasting friendships with teachers and deaf and hearing children as they learned from each other at Camp Sign at La Junta, TX.
An independent woman, Grace loved to travel to faraway places like Egypt and Russia. She treasured her friends and UT colleagues, always generous in sharing Texas wine and chocolate. She leaves a rich legacy of love and friendship, and SENSE OF HUMOR. A devoted Catholic, Grace always kept the Dominican Sisters in Houston and the Carmelites in Lafayette, LA in her prayers.
Grace was a woman of amazing strength and courage. She overcame terrible injuries from a car accident in 2000 to live independently, and then later, several surgeries. She knew the “rehab routines” and always worked relentlessly; her determination added years to her life. “Life is short, eat dessert first” became her motto; she loved pie but stayed slim! The lessons she taught her dear friends while maneuvering the system of services for the elderly will never be forgotten.
Preceding her in death were her parents, Leona and Henry Hanson, sister Jane Poll and nephew Jim McNally. Grace is survived by her sister Gladys and husband Patrick McNally, and her nieces and nephews: Debbie Poll Gordon, Karen McNally Loeding, Cathy McNally Wolowicz, Patrick McNally, and her goddaughter Karen Morris. She will be missed by her dear friends Pamela Bell, Sherrie Lee, Laurie Martin, Drue Parker, Bob Phillips, Stephen and Gabriel Morris. A special thanks to the compassionate care provided by Dr. Teresa Lyson and her many caregivers.
A memorial fund has been established in honor of Grace at the University of Texas at Austin, College of Communication to help support Communication Science and Disorders graduate students. Checks should be made out to the University of Texas at Austin, with a memo section note: “Grace Hanson Fund.” Please send donations to: Richard Graw, College of Communication, The University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, A0900, Austin, TX 78712.
A Visitation with Rosary will be held from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., Monday, January 31, 2011 at Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Funeral Home in Pflugerville, Texas. Funeral Services will take place at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, February 1, 2011, also at Cook-Walden/Capital Parks.
To share memories about Grace, please visit www.cookwaldencapitalparks.com
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