‘The Story Hour Lady’ at Flint Memorial Library
Published December 3, 2020
NORTH READING — Louise (Ryan) Hanson, 90, of North Reading and formerly of Yarmouthport, died at Royal Meadow View Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in North Reading on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2020.
Born in Wakefield on May 31, 1930, she was the wife of the late Richard N. Hanson and daughter of the late Everett R. and Alice (Rattray) Ryan. She was the sister of Carolyn (Ryan) Fuller of Peabody and the late Doris (Ryan) Pedersen.
Louise attended Wakefield schools and graduated from Wakefield High School in 1948.
Known as the “Story Hour Lady” at the Flint Memorial Library in North Reading for 35 years, she instilled a love of books and reading in hundreds of children over the years.
A grandmother of eight and great-grandmother of 11, she made great fruit pancakes that they still remember fondly, taught them how to knit, braided their hair beautifully (so tight!) and loved to cook for them. She loved family gatherings and cooking and baking.
She and her husband Dick loved to travel and especially enjoyed Bermuda and many sailing trips in the Caribbean. They camped with their family for many years with a large group of North Reading people at Terrace Pines in New Hampshire.
After many years in North Reading, they retired to Yarmouthport, where they made many more wonderful friends. Having been very active in their church life at the Union Congregational Church here in North Reading, they joined the West Yarmouth Church, where they happily immersed themselves in their new church life.
Over the years, Louise was active in Girl Scouts and Eastern Star.
Her surviving family members include her daughter Nancy (Hanson) Thorn and her husband William of North Reading, and her son Douglas Hanson and his wife Lori of Sandown, N.H. Eight grandchildren, Karen (Thorn) Putvinski and her husband Mathew of Holliston; Alison (Thorn) Bogrett and her husband Richard of Haverhill; Amy Thorn of North Reading; Kristina (Hanson) Wagnitz and her husband Tony of Atkinson, N.H.; Jaclyn (Hanson) Freeman and her husband Dan of Plaistow, N.H.; Joshua (Hanson) Stone and his husband Jonathan of Flagstaff, N.M.; Mindy (Hanson) Moutoux and her husband Nate of Pataskala, Ohio; and Daniel Hanson and his husband Lance Guthrie of McLean, Va.
She is also survived by 11 great-grandchildren: Katelyn, Megan and Erin Putvinski; Abigail Thorn; Lexi and Libby Wagnitz; Ryan, Lily and Sam Freeman; and Isaac and Madeleine Moutoux.
A memorial service will be held in the spring. Interment will be at Puritan Lawn.
Memorial donations may be made to the West Yarmouth Church, 383 MA-28 West, Yarmouth, MA 02673; Union Congregational Church, 148 Haverhill St., North Reading, MA 01864; or Flint Memorial Library, 147 Park St., North Reading, MA 01864. To leave an online message of condolence visit: www.croswellfuneralhome.com.
