Hudson builder and entertainer dies at 67
A colorful Hudsonite was laid to rest after dying unexpectedly of heart failure on Dec. 1. Dean Hanson headlined a popular four-piece rock band that toured the Midwest and beyond in the 1970s before settling into life as a Hudson builder.
- Dean Hanson
- Memorabilia
A colorful Hudsonite was laid to rest after dying unexpectedly of heart failure on Dec. 1.
Dean Hanson headlined a popular four-piece rock band that toured the Midwest and beyond in the 1970s before settling into life as a Hudson builder.
He died at St. Mary Hospital in Rochester, Minn., after a prolonged recovery from open-heart surgery, according to his wife, Roxann.
Hanson was 67 years old. He had survived an earlier bout with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma cancer.
“Life was never boring with Dean,” Roxann Hanson said. “He was a visionary. He always saw the possibilities in people and things, and always had a new project on the horizon.”
Hanson moved to Hudson in the mid-1970s.
“He had traveled through the town and simply thought it was the most beautiful community he had ever seen, and wanted to live in Hudson,” Roxann said. “He has always been taken with the St. Croix River and the splendor of this valley.”
In 1979, Hanson said good-bye to show business and turned his attention full-time to building construction.
He began by building single-family residences, and progressed to designing and constructing multiple-family housing and commercial buildings.
An earth-sheltered house he designed and built in the Trout Brook Woods development was featured in a March 11, 1982, story in the Star-Observer.
Over the years, his Hanson Design and Construction company built a number of Hudson multi-family complexes, including the Fairway Condominiums, Tall Grass Twin Homes and Stone Creek Twin Homes.
The company built some 75 multi-family units, 150 single-family homes, five warehouses and two restaurants in the area.
“His great loves and talents were to design and construct buildings, boating on the St. Croix River, and playing music in his studio with friends and family,” Roxann said. “He was a gifted singer and performer.”
Dennis Darnold, community development director for the city of Hudson, had the job of reviewing a number of Hanson’s projects.
“Dean was always good to work with. There were times that we agreed to disagree, but that’s part of the development process,” Darnold said. “He became a friend of mine over a period of time, and he’ll be missed.”
Roxann Hanson said her husband was physically and emotionally strong.
“He worked very hard in business and fought hard for his health,” she said. “He was a leader and could quickly mobilize people toward a common goal.”
Roxann said Hanson took good care of his family and often helped out friends.
“He was always positive and happy, with a sense of humor and easy to talk to,” she said.
Hanson also is survived by his children Dion Hanson, Desiree Getner, Ryan Hanson and Dustin Hanson, grandchildren, and his parents, Kenneth and Elaine Hanson.
Tags: obituaries, hudson, business
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