Gary J. Hanson, 33°
(Jun 7, 1938 - Jul 31, 2018)
1962 - Member, Mizpah #302, Omaha, NE
Member, Swope Park Lodge #617, Kansas City, MO

1968 - 32° Master of the Royal Secret, Omaha, NE
1980 - Life Member, Valley of Kansas City
1995 - Knight Commander of the Court of Honour
2003 - Wise Master, Areiopagus Chapter of Rose Croix
2007 - Coroneted 33° Inspector General Honorary

Occupation: Commercial casualty underwriter, real estate broker
Veteran: Army National Guard

Gary J. Hanson, 33°, 80, After a very brief battle with an aggressive cancer, passed away on July 31, 2018 while in Hospice Care at the age of 80.

He leaves was survived by his wife of 45 years, Rita J. (Christoffersen) Hanson.

Gary was born on June 7, 1938 in Sioux City, Iowa to father Harold Carl Hanson and mother Roberta Lynn (Jones) Hanson, who both predeceased him. After high school Gary attended and graduated from the University of Nebraska in Omaha with a BA in Business Administration. In early 1961 Gary joined the Nebraska Army and Air Force National Guard and served honorably for 6-years.

Gary's first career years began in the early 1960's in Omaha where he was a Commercial Casualty Underwriter before being transferred to Kansas City in 1978 where he retired from the Insurance field after 20+ years. Not satisfied with true retirement, Gary became a Real Estate Broker, working for several agencies in the metro area before becoming semi-retired in 1997 when he began traveling with Rita to fulfill her Eastern Star Grand Chapter obligations.

Gary's passion for Masonry began in 1962 in Mizpah Lodge #302 in Omaha. He found his niche for the fraternity with the Scottish Rite when he became Master of the Royal Secret, Valley of Omaha on April 25, 1968 transferring to the Valley of Kansas City in the early 1980's where his journey continued when he received the Knight Commander of the Court of Honour in 1995 then served as Wise Master, Areiopagus Chapter of Rose Croix in 1997. Gary was awarded the coveted Inspector General Honorary in 2007 as well as most recently the blue cap for having been in SR for over 50-years.

Interment: Jacksonville, Iowa Bethlehem Lutheran Church Cemetery