Clark L. Hanson

Clark L. Hanson of Ashland, Oregon, died April 16. He was 90.

Hanson was born in Laporte, Minnesota on June 12, 1924. He was a WWII veteran who served in the Navy. He graduated from the University of Minnesota with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering and worked for International Harvester for 15 years.  

In June of 1959, he received a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University and in September, he began working at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (then known as the University of California Radiation Laboratory) as an engineer in the Mechanical Engineering Department. Hanson was a valued employee as well as a thorough and inventive engineer for more than 24 years at the Laboratory, eventually retiring in 1984. Hanson remained in the Mechanical Engineering Department throughout his time at the Laboratory, eventually becoming a group leader for the Mechanical Engineering support of the Experimental Test Accelerator and the project engineer responsible for support for the Magnet System Group.

Hanson was a devoted husband to Jean Hanson for 68 years; loving and caring father of Leslie Lightfall, Carole Van der Mark, Craig Hanson and Brent Hanson (deceased); grandfather of Kelli Luevano and Jessica Angel; great-grandfather of Elise and Anna Gloria Luevano, Cayden, Khyler and Chayce Angel.

Hanson enjoyed bicycling, tennis and camping. He was a highly creative, capable, strong but gentle man, offering deep and abiding love that he more often expressed through action than with words.

A tribute celebrating his life can be found online at Celebrating Clark.