Obituary for Eric Groo Hansen
Eric Groo Hansen, beloved husband and father passed away on May 6th 2022 due to complications related to cancer. It was unexpected. Dad was 74 and his own father, Leo Albert Hansen, lived well into his 80s. Time was something we thought we had plenty of. He needed to have his spleen removed due to complications with CLL and Dad, being his optimistic self, expected he’d be back at school instructing his JROTC cadets within a few days. He unfortunately never woke up after surgery and our hearts are broken.
Eric was born to Leo Hansen and Barbara Groo in 1947 in Salt Lake City. He spent most of his youth between Salt Lake City, UT and Lafayette, CA where his dad worked for Westinghouse in the lamp division. He graduated from Acalanes High School where he discovered in his Spanish classes that he had a facility for foreign languages. He was also a wrestler, an Eagle Scout, a music enthusiast (the Beatles and Beach Boys figured heavily) and a devoted brother to his siblings Deborah and Dave. He would describe Lafayette as an idealized place to be raised.
Following graduation Eric worked briefly at Boeing in Seattle, WA and eventually made his way to Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah to study German. After a few years in Provo, he left to serve for 2 ½ years as a missionary in Northern Italy for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. While in Italy his family had moved to Spokane, WA where his father had opened multiple JB’s Big Boys restaurants. It was in Spokane where he met Anabel Briggs (the local bishop’s daughter), was smitten, and after a short courtship they were married in the Idaho Falls LDS temple in 1971. Children came soon thereafter, four daughters and a son.
Eric finished up at BYU with degrees in both German and Italian and was commissioned as an officer in the Marine Corp, spending the next 20 plus years flying helicopters for his country and, as he would assure us, “fighting communists.” This included a period in the early eighties where he was a pilot in HMX -1, responsible for flying President Ronald Reagan as well as several government officials and heads of state on Marine One (the famous white top helicopters). He rose to the rank of Lt. Colonel and upon retiring from the Corp had commanded his own CH 53 squadron, served as a Naval Attaché in the United States Embassy in Rome, Italy, and for good measure received his black belt in Judo while stationed in Okinawa, Japan. Following his first retirement he taught JRTOC in high schools in both New Jersey and New York. He loved working with his cadets and would talk about their progression and accomplishments often with friends and family.
Eric was the best of friends to those who knew him and an even better father and husband. He adored his family and fretted about their safety and wellbeing regularly calling his children sometimes multiple times a day to check in and chat. He is survived by his wife, Anabel Hansen; his children: Laura Cesena (Richard); Dan (Leigh); Carrie Chilton (Todd); Sara McRoberts (Travis) and Emily Sessions (Logan). He is also survived by his brother Dave and sister Deborah and 14 grandchildren.
A service with military honors will be held at the Washington Crossing National Cemetery, 830 Highland Road, Newtown, PA 18940 on Friday, May 20, 2022 at 9:00 am.
Following the interment a service will follow at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1255 Ferry Road, Doylestown, PA 18901 at 11:00 am.
Please contact the family for the zoom link.
Send condolences to www.varcoethomasfuneralhome.com
Eric was born to Leo Hansen and Barbara Groo in 1947 in Salt Lake City. He spent most of his youth between Salt Lake City, UT and Lafayette, CA where his dad worked for Westinghouse in the lamp division. He graduated from Acalanes High School where he discovered in his Spanish classes that he had a facility for foreign languages. He was also a wrestler, an Eagle Scout, a music enthusiast (the Beatles and Beach Boys figured heavily) and a devoted brother to his siblings Deborah and Dave. He would describe Lafayette as an idealized place to be raised.
Following graduation Eric worked briefly at Boeing in Seattle, WA and eventually made his way to Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah to study German. After a few years in Provo, he left to serve for 2 ½ years as a missionary in Northern Italy for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. While in Italy his family had moved to Spokane, WA where his father had opened multiple JB’s Big Boys restaurants. It was in Spokane where he met Anabel Briggs (the local bishop’s daughter), was smitten, and after a short courtship they were married in the Idaho Falls LDS temple in 1971. Children came soon thereafter, four daughters and a son.
Eric finished up at BYU with degrees in both German and Italian and was commissioned as an officer in the Marine Corp, spending the next 20 plus years flying helicopters for his country and, as he would assure us, “fighting communists.” This included a period in the early eighties where he was a pilot in HMX -1, responsible for flying President Ronald Reagan as well as several government officials and heads of state on Marine One (the famous white top helicopters). He rose to the rank of Lt. Colonel and upon retiring from the Corp had commanded his own CH 53 squadron, served as a Naval Attaché in the United States Embassy in Rome, Italy, and for good measure received his black belt in Judo while stationed in Okinawa, Japan. Following his first retirement he taught JRTOC in high schools in both New Jersey and New York. He loved working with his cadets and would talk about their progression and accomplishments often with friends and family.
Eric was the best of friends to those who knew him and an even better father and husband. He adored his family and fretted about their safety and wellbeing regularly calling his children sometimes multiple times a day to check in and chat. He is survived by his wife, Anabel Hansen; his children: Laura Cesena (Richard); Dan (Leigh); Carrie Chilton (Todd); Sara McRoberts (Travis) and Emily Sessions (Logan). He is also survived by his brother Dave and sister Deborah and 14 grandchildren.
A service with military honors will be held at the Washington Crossing National Cemetery, 830 Highland Road, Newtown, PA 18940 on Friday, May 20, 2022 at 9:00 am.
Following the interment a service will follow at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1255 Ferry Road, Doylestown, PA 18901 at 11:00 am.
Please contact the family for the zoom link.
Send condolences to www.varcoethomasfuneralhome.com