2010.02.15: Obituary for Turkey RPCV Christian M. Hansen Jr.

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Turkey: Peace Corps Turkey : Peace Corps Turkey: Newest Stories: 2010.02.15: Obituary for Turkey RPCV Christian M. Hansen Jr.

By Admin1 (admin) (98.188.147.225) on Tuesday, May 04, 2010 - 4:09 pm: Edit Post

Obituary for Turkey RPCV Christian M. Hansen Jr.

Obituary for Turkey RPCV Christian M. Hansen Jr.

In 1963, he joined the Peace Corps and for two years worked in Ankara, Turkey. He then worked in Aberdeen, S.D. Involved in the civil-rights movement, Dr. Hansen also traveled to marches and other events in the mid-1960s. "He was concerned that blacks were being treated unfairly," said his daughter, Amy. After a civil-rights march in Mississippi, Dr. Hansen met the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the home of a mutual friend in Jackson, Miss. It was one of the highlights of Dr. Hansen's life, his family said. "He was in awe. He didn't even know what to talk about," said his wife, Alex. The two men eventually exchanged stories about their trips and missions.

Obituary for Turkey RPCV Christian M. Hansen Jr.

Christian M. Hansen Jr., 77, pediatrician without borders

By Claudia Vargas

Inquirer Staff Writer
Christian M. Hansen Jr., 77, of New Hope, a pediatrician who spent most of his career traveling to impoverished countries to aid malnourished and sick children, died Feb. 3 of pneumonia resulting from bone-marrow disease at Hunterdon Medical Center in Flemington, N.J.

Educated under the Quaker values of helping society through nonviolent means, Dr. Hansen sought to cure as many children as possible.

He helped shape the Henry J. Austin Health Center in Trenton and was on the Rutgers University Medical School faculty for almost a decade.

Fresh out of his residency program in pediatrics at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in 1961, Dr. Hansen moved with his family to the White Mountain Apache Reservation in Arizona to work for the U.S. Public Health Service. For about a year, he provided medical care to the Apache children.

From then on, it was one adventure after another for Dr. Hansen and his family.

Peace Corps Online

In 1963, he joined the Peace Corps and for two years worked in Ankara, Turkey. He then worked in Aberdeen, S.D.

Involved in the civil-rights movement, Dr. Hansen also traveled to marches and other events in the mid-1960s.

"He was concerned that blacks were being treated unfairly," said his daughter, Amy.

After a civil-rights march in Mississippi, Dr. Hansen met the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the home of a mutual friend in Jackson, Miss.

It was one of the highlights of Dr. Hansen's life, his family said.

"He was in awe. He didn't even know what to talk about," said his wife, Alex. The two men eventually exchanged stories about their trips and missions.

Dr. Hansen then worked at the Tufts-Delta Health Center in Mound Bayou, Miss., before settling in New Hope in 1969.

In the early 1970s, he was one of the first physicians to work at the Henry J. Austin Health Center, which had been established in 1969 as Trenton's Neighborhood Health Center.

After working there for two years, Dr. Hansen joined the Rutgers Medical School as a professor in the department of community medicine and later in the department of pediatrics, his family said.

While in academia, he traveled to countries including Nigeria, Vietnam, Rwanda, and Haiti to help children.

He slept in tents and ate rice and beans almost every day. "He put up with all kinds of things, but he thrived on doing things like that," his wife said.

In 1981, Dr. Hansen left Rutgers and began working for the New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services. He examined abused children and treated children in foster care.

"He felt such a great need for the children of New Jersey," his wife said.

After the Gulf War, Dr. Hansen went to help children in Turkey with other doctors from all over the world. This trip was one of the most memorable for him, his wife said.

"He was taking care of children. They were very ill, some suffering from terrible malnutrition, and he sort of brought them back to life," she said.

In 1994, Dr. Hansen received an honorary doctor in sciences degree from Haverford College for his work in the community and around the world, said Violet Brown, senior executive administrator at the college.

After Dr. Hansen retired from DYFS in 2001, he volunteered at the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, tutoring people for their GED exams.

Dr. Hansen was born in Woodbury. His father, the Rev. Christian M. Hansen, was a prominent Lutheran minister in Camden and then in Trenton for many years.

Dr. Hansen went to Quaker schools, and later told his family that their values had inspired him to do the work he did throughout his life.

He graduated from Moorestown Friends School in 1950, Haverford College in 1954, and the University of Pennsylvania Medical School in 1958, the same year he married Alexandra M. Cole.

Because his work sometimes took a toll on him, Dr. Hansen looked forward to going to Maine for several weeks each summer with his family. These annual retreats, his family said, helped him keep his sense of humor and playful personality.

"He loved windup toys," his wife said, laughing. "We would be out to dinner and he would pull one of these toys out and play with it."

In addition to his wife and daughter, Dr. Hansen is survived by sons Max, Jonathan, and Nathaniel and four grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held in early April.

Memorial donations may be made to Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Ave., Haverford, Pa. 19041.




Links to Related Topics (Tags):

Headlines: February, 2010; Peace Corps Turkey; Directory of Turkey RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Turkey RPCVs; Obituaries; Medicine





When this story was posted in May 2010, this was on the front page of PCOL:




Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers RSS Feed

 Site Index Search PCOL with Google Contact PCOL Recent Posts Bulletin Board Open Discussion RPCV Directory Register

Feb 10, 2010: Senator Dodd to Retire Date: February 19 2010 No: 1433 Feb 10, 2010: Senator Dodd to Retire
Dodd retires from Senate 6 Jan
Cameron Hume named US Ambassador to Pakistan 8 Feb
Florida RPCVs sponsor Everglades Experience 6 Feb
Jeff Hall brings aid to Sierra Leone 1 Feb
Peace Corps to reach 11,000 PCVs in 2016 1 Feb
Hugh Pickens writes: Standing Bear Looks to the Future 27 Jan
Ann Varghese survives 55 hours in Haiti rubble 26 Jan
John Guy LaPlante at 80 was oldest PCV 17 Jan
Steve Radelet to advise Hilary Clinton on Development 15 Jan
Obituary for Co-Author of ‘The Ugly American' 14 Jan
Peace Corps Establishes Program in Indonesia 11 Dec
What Happened to Obama's Promise? 3 Dec
George Packer writes: Obama's Troubles 24 Nov
PC Mourns Loss of Morocco PCV So-Youn Kim 17 Nov
Peace Corps volunteers return to Madagascar 16 Nov
PC to grow by several thousand over next 2 years 15 Nov
Former Hostage John Limbert named to Iran Bureau 11 Nov
Carrie Hessler Radelet named PC Deputy Director 9 Nov
Garamendi Sworn into Congress 9 Nov
Jesse Lonergan writes graphic novel "Joe and Azat" 4 Nov
David Macaray writes: Hearts and Minds in Afghanistan 29 Oct
Dustin Hogenson writes: Sauna in Kazakstan 26 Oct


Memo to Incoming Director Williams Date: August 24 2009 No: 1419 Memo to Incoming Director Williams
PCOL has asked five prominent RPCVs and Staff to write a memo on the most important issues facing the Peace Corps today. Issues raised include the independence of the Peace Corps, political appointments at the agency, revitalizing the five-year rule, lowering the ET rate, empowering volunteers, removing financial barriers to service, increasing the agency's budget, reducing costs, and making the Peace Corps bureaucracy more efficient and responsive. Latest: Greetings from Director Williams

Join Us Mr. President! Date: June 26 2009 No: 1380 Join Us Mr. President!
"We will double the size of the Peace Corps by its 50th anniversary in 2011. And we'll reach out to other nations to engage their young people in similar programs, so that we work side by side to take on the common challenges that confront all humanity," said Barack Obama during his campaign. Returned Volunteers rally and and march to the White House to support a bold new Peace Corps for a new age. Latest: Senator Dodd introduces Peace Corps Improvement and Expansion Act of 2009 .

Meet Aaron Williams - Our Next Director Date: July 30 2009 No: 1411 Meet Aaron Williams - Our Next Director
Senator Dodd's Senate Subcommittee held confirmation hearings for Aaron Williams to become the 18th Peace Corps Director. "It's exciting to have a nominee who served in the Peace Corps and also has experience in international development and management," said Dodd as he put Williams on the fast track to be confirmed by the full Senate before the August recess. Read our exclusive coverage of the hearings and our biography of Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams.



Read the stories and leave your comments.








Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.

Story Source: Philadelphia Inquirer

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Turkey; Obituaries; Medicine

PCOL45399
31


Add a Message


This is a public posting area. Enter your username and password if you have an account. Otherwise, enter your full name as your username and leave the password blank. Your e-mail address is optional.
Username:  
Password:
E-mail: