John "Jack" Hanson

John "Jack" Hanson, 85, of Stevensville, passed away peacefully at his home in Stevensville from complications due to prostate cancer.

He was born in Havre to Sylvia and Jack Hanson on Nov. 4, 1927. Upon graduation from Havre High School in 1945, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. After receiving his honorable discharge, he attended Northern Montana College for two years then went on to earn a BS-BA degree at Denver University.

On July 21, 1951, Jack was married to Marjorie Johnson at St. Matthew's Church in Kalispell. They resided in Havre, where he had a 45-year career as a New York Life Insurance agent, being elected to the Montana New York Life Insurance Hall of Fame in 2005. In 1988 the couple moved to Lakeside and subsequently to Polson, where he enjoyed life on the golf course, and then on to Kalispell in 2000 to be near his aging mother-in-law. In 2004 they settled in Stevensville.

Jack enjoyed hunting and fishing but his greatest love and devotion was for his family.

He is survived by his wife Marjorie, of the family home in Stevensville; sons, Jeffrey of Helena and Matthew of Great Falls; daughters, Kristy of Kalispell, Kari (Robert) Lewis of Los Altos, Calif., and Jennifer (Brent) Cotton of Stevensville; 11 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren; sister-in-law, Jane Johnson of Las Vegas, Nev .; three nieces and four nephews.

He was a member of St. Mary's Mission Parish in Stevensville where a private family funeral Mass was celebrated by Father Huber on June 12, 2013. Burial will take place at a later date.The family suggests memorial donations may be made in Jack's name to either Aspen Hospice, 107 Bell Crossing West, Stevensville, MT 59870 or a charity of the donor's choice.Condolences and memories may be left for the family at http://www.whitesittfuneralhome.com.