Alexandra Felty Hansen

Dr. Hansen, who went by the name Alex or Sandy, was born Alexandra Louise Felty on April 21, 1933 in Hartford, Connecticut, the second of three daughters born to Dr. Augustus Roi Felty and Alice Bryce Felty.

Alex attended the Oxford School in Hartford before entering Oberlin College in Ohio where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree. She then went on to the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill where she received a Master of Arts degree while earning a Fulbright Scholarship for Spanish language studies. These studies took her to Spain, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Argentina to continue her education while greatly fostering her interest in the cultures of these countries.

It was during this period that she met and married Danish mining engineer Paul Hansen in Cochabamba, Bolivia. They then settled in Houston, Texas in 1959.

Alex continued her studies at the University of Houston where she earned her Doctorate degree in Education. She worked for many years for the Houston Independent School District as an educational diagnostician where she specialized in the evaluation and assessment of learning disabilities in predominately Spanish speaking students. Upon retirement she continued her work as a diagnostician on a part time basis with the Alief Independent School District.

Alex valued education and life experiences greatly. She traveled extensively, always interested in the history, art, and culture of the people and places she would visit. Her lifetime of travels took her all over the world. When not traveling outside of North America she liked to spend her summers at a family cottage in Canada near the small town of Colborne on Lake Ontario.

Alex attended Memorial Drive Presbyterian church in Houston for many years where she frequently participated in missionary trips to build or repair churches in underserved communities in Central America. Alex believed strongly in giving back to her community and offered her time generously. Her activities included Memorial Area Ministries where she volunteered for years in their thrift shop while providing low-income Houstonians with bilingual tax and social benefits advice. She was well-recognized as a docent at the Rienzi Museum of Fine Arts Houston. She also volunteered at the Mercer Gardens, the Houston Arboretum, and the Alley Theater.

Alex was preceded in death by her parents and her sister Isabel “Kay” Felty Gililland. She is survived by her sons Stephen, John (Jerianne), Peter (Bridget), grandchildren Kristen (Travis) Jackson, Katherine (fiancée Sebastian), and Alexander, sister Dr. Jean Felty Kenny, niece Paige Simmons, nephew Matthew Gililland and their families.

Alex’s family would like to express their sincere gratitude to the nurses and staff at the Eagles Trace Skilled Nursing Center for the compassionate care Alex received during the final years of her life.

A memorial service celebrating the life of Alexandra Hansen will be announced at a later date.