January 19, 1942 - July 24, 2015 Beloved son of Albert and Madelyne Hanson, Noel R. Hanson passed away at his home in Pasadena on Friday morning July 24, 2015 at the age of 73. Noel was born on January 19, 1942 in Los Angeles, California. He attended Dorsey High School and from there went on to graduate from the University of Southern California receiving a degree in Industrial Management in 1963. While studying toward an MBA, he worked for USC in the office of Annual Giving as Director of Alumni and Annual Funds. A few years later he moved to the Claremont Colleges as Assistant Director of Joint Development. From there he was hired away by Walt Disney to be a special assistant involved in the early development of Disney World. In 1970, he started his own management consulting firm, Hanson and Company. Over a period of 45 years, his firm worked with non-profit organizations helping them to expand their plans and raise funds. Some of his clients included Pepperdine University, Redlands University, Loma Linda University, Pitzer College, California State University at Long Beach, the Salvation Army Regional Headquarters in San Francisco, Providence High School, Five Acres, University of Southern California - Keck School of Medicine, South Coast Repertory Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Woodbury University,
Arizona State University, and most recently Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Noel was active in his community and served on several Boards. He served as Chairman of the Board of Regents of Providence High School in Burbank, President of the Board of Directors of Andrus Center Associates, a support group for the USC Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center, and was a life member of the USC Associates. He served on the USC Torchbearers Council, was Chairman of the 25th and 48th anniversary celebrations for USC's class of 1963, and served on the Board of the Half-Century Trojan Scholarship Committee. He was a member of the Advisory Board of the Pasadena Senior Center. He served for eight years on the City of Pasadena's Traffic Advisory Commission. He was instrumental in connecting the classical theatre - A Noise Within - to the City of Pasadena and to a local developer whereby the theatre found a home in Pasadena in October 2011. He headed the committee that organized the 50th and 55th reunions for the class of 1959 at Dorsey High School, and he developed the organizational structure for the 20th Century Dorsey Scholarship Fund. He was a member of the Jonathan Club for forty-nine years and a member of the Valley Hunt Club in Pasadena for fourteen years. Noel is survived by his son, Eric R. Hanson and by his sister, Shari H. Thorell and her husband Robert C. Thorell along with their children and grandchildren. Noel was always available to help or advise his friends. He had a great sense of humor and a knack for making everyone around him feel comfortable. Despite multiple health problems, he remained upbeat and continued to participate in business and volunteer activities right up until the day of his death. He will be remembered as a wonderful father, friend, and mentor to those who knew and loved him.
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