Carol Ann Hanson. Courtesy/Hanson Family

Carol Ann Hanson passed away unexpectedly Aug. 7, 2012 in Houston, Texas, at the age of 69.

She was born on Jan. 4, 1943 in Los Angeles, Calif., to Julia and John Koenig, the first of four children.

Carol attended California State College at Northridge and UCLA, where she graduated with a degree in teaching English as a second language.

She was awarded a master’s degree in Latin American Studies from the University of Oregon in Eugene, where she met her husband David Hanson while working in the Physics Department.

They were married in Cove, Ore., in 1974 and moved to Richland, Wash. In 1981, they moved to Los Alamos, N.M., raising two children, Christina and Matt.

Carol enjoyed the outdoors through gardening, walking, cross country skiing and hiking.

She loved the arts and excelled at weaving and painting. But above all, Carol loved cooking wonderful meals and desserts for her family and friends.

Carol was a member of the Bethlehem Lutheran Church for 30 years and sang in the choir as well as volunteered in the office.

She valued her family and friends above everything else, and her soft-spoken, thoughtful, and caring personality will be greatly missed by all.

Carol is survived by her husband David Hanson of Los Alamos, her daughter Christina Hanson, currently pursuing a PhD at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass., and her son Matt Hanson attending UNM in Albuquerque, N.M.

She also is survived by her sisters Karen Rose of Cove, Ore., and Linda Koenig of Walla Walla, Wash., and a brother Charles Koenig of Cove, Ore.

A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Friday Aug. 24, 2012 at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church on North Road.