Obituary of William Drury Hansen

DOB 11/23/1934 DOD 05/15/2026 If there are schools in heaven, they have gained a new teacher. After a long, fruitful teaching career and a lifetime of service to his church and family, William Drury Hansen (91) of Othello, WA passed away peacefully Friday, May 15, 2026 surrounded by family. Bill was born in the tiny town of Sanford, Colorado on November 23, 1934 to George Andrew Hansen and Florence Frances Gibson “on a kitchen table covered with comic strips” as he was told. Bill was malnourished and small for his age until he was in junior high. He suffered through rickets, rheumatic fever, croup, whooping cough, yellow jaundice and four different heart problems throughout his life. Despite the physical challenges he thrived as his family moved to Ellensburg, WA and lived and worked farms in the area during the depression. There his family tried out different churches and he was eventually baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A good student, Bill went on to college at Brigham Young University in Provo, UT in 1953 which turned out to be one of the defining decisions of his life. It was there at BYU that the shy country boy met a beautiful, sophisticated young lady from Salt Lake City by the name of Mary Ellen Hughes. They dated for a year and, much to her family’s dismay, got married on September 17, 1954 in the Salt Lake City temple. The happy couple welcomed sons Chris, Jon and Jeff while living in Utah. Bill had transferred to the University of Utah and worked for Buehner Block while finishing school. After 8.5 years Bill decided it was time for a career change and began teaching. The family moved from their Taylorsville home back to Ellensburg, before finding a teaching job and settling in Othello, WA in 1963. In Othello the family grew with two more sons, Daniel and Andrew, and their only daughter Mary Jane. Bill taught at Othello High School and became a fixture in the community, teaching multiple generations of families. He loved reading and learning, and his artistic pursuits included pen and ink drawings as well as working with stained glass. Bill was also involved in the Othello Theater Guild and the Othello Choral Society. He had a passion for family history and genealogy, and loved to garden. Bill is survived by his children Chris (Nancy), Jeff (Elisabeth), Daniel (Amy), Andrew (Lori) and Mary Jane (Russ). He was preceded in death by his wife Mary Ellen (Hughes), brothers Ted and Paul, sisters Frances and Carole, son Jon (Muncie), daughter-in-law Janice, grandchildren Michael Hansen, Devan Hansen, Quinn Arnold, Korry Hansen, Janae Hansen and great grandson Everett Hansen.