Harvey Carl Hansen Jr.

Harvey Carl Hansen Jr., of Battle Creek passed away at the age of 77 on Friday, May 2nd at Bronson Hospital after an ongoing battle with pancreatic cancer. Harvey was born to Dr. Harvey C. Hansen and Stella (Donahue) Hansen (Lynn, MA) on June 11th, 1947. The oldest of four children, Harvey was raised in Battle Creek, where he spent most of his life. He graduated from Lakeview High School in 1965. At LHS, Harvey was a proud co-captain and MVP of the swim team where he was breaking records as early as his freshman year. After graduation, Harvey attended Kellogg Community College (KCC) and went on to swim for Florida State University (Tallahassee, FL), where he graduated with a degree in Physical Education. Upon returning to Michigan, Harvey taught as a substitute teacher in Battle Creek and Lakeview Public School districts and worked as an assistant swim coach at KCC. During that time, he fell in love with and married Patricia Swonk, also of Battle Creek. Harvey and Patti had three children together and were married for thirty years before Patti’s death in 2009. When his children were young, Harvey pivoted to a career in weatherization where he spent most of his career. He worked for Volt Energy in Kalamazoo and the Community Action Agency of Battle Creek before taking a position with the State of Michigan as a Technical Weatherization Inspector where he monitored Community Action Agencies throughout the state. He was very proud of his work that involved helping low income families to efficiently heat their homes. He spoke very highly of his coworkers and considered them “family.” In fact, he liked them so much that he never got around to retiring: “one more year and then we’ll see”! In his spare time, Harvey enjoyed music and fitness. He was an enthusiastic musician and played guitar, bass, and keyboards for a number of local bands from his teens and throughout his adult life. Some of Harvey’s band affiliations over the years included the Fender Benders, the Billy Dalton Gang, Glass Shadow, and Down N’Dirty. He was passionate about music and could often be found cranking up the speakers and jamming on his keyboards at home. He enjoyed playing music with his friends, family, and work colleagues. Throughout his adult life, Harvey continued to enjoy physical fitness. He swam regularly at the YMCA for decades and continued to compete in the Leroy Sparks Goguac Lake Swim into his 50s. Throughout the last several years, Harvey could often be seen riding his bike around the neighborhood or jogging along the golf course. Harvey will be remembered most for the way he treated everyone—friends, family, neighbors, and even strangers—with warmth and kindness. He was a beloved father, grandfather, brother, and uncle and loved nothing more than spending time with all of his family. One of the great joys for him over the past several years was hosting large family gatherings in his home. Seeing everyone laugh together put a twinkle in his eye. His kindness and quiet strength will be missed by all who knew him. Harvey was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Patricia (Swonk) Hansen, his two brothers Michael Hansen and James Hansen, and his nephew Forest Lehnert. He is survived by his sister: Stella Hansen (Peter Lehnert); children: Eric Hansen, Krista Elkins (Luke Elkins), and Jon Hansen; step-daughter Becky Cooper (Tom Deater); sister in-law: Kathy Swonk; grandchildren: Shannon Elkins, Kerry Elkins, and Whitman Deater; nieces: Angee Dyer Corso (Brek Corso), Amy Hansen, Adrienne Lehnert (Matthew Hemsath), Eleanor (Michael Schuchard) and Erin Lehnert (Christina Baal); and grandnieces and nephews: Hazel Schuchardt, River Hemsath,Wyatt Schuchardt, and Jake Corso. A memorial service will be held at Richard A. Henry Funeral Home & Cremation Services in Battle Creek on Saturday, June 7th at 12:00pm. The family will receive friends at the funeral home one hour prior to the service. Donations in Harvey’s memory can be made to the Lakeview Schools Education Foundation (www.lsefspartans.org) and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (www.stjude.org)