December 14, 1935 - September 18, 2019
Armand Gilbert Hansen Obituary
Armand Gilbert Hansen (Age 83) of Liberty Lake passed away on September 18, 2019, after a series of health complications. He was born at the height of the Great Depression on December 14, 1935, in Wenatchee to Claire Clayton Hansen and Janet Noble Hansen (Ceis). Claire and Janet paid the doctor?s fee for his birth with about six sacks of potatoes. Following Armand, Claire and Janet had five more boys, and all the brothers have remained the best of friends. Armand grew up in Moses Lake on a farm west of town and, after turning down an engineering scholarship offered by Boeing, began his lifelong career at N.A. Degerstrom Inc. in heavy construction building roads, bridges and dams. He began as an equipment operator, learned every piece of equipment, then began supervising jobs; following completion of the Wells Dam project at Azwell, Washington in 1967, he was transferred to the main office in charge of operations for the company. He worked for Degerstrom for almost 50 years, retiring in 2000 as vice president of the company.
He married Loretta Phyllis Arlt in 1955 after they graduated from Moses Lake High School. They lived in many different towns in Washington with their three children before moving to Spokane in 1967.
Armand later married Echo Marie Baker in 1989 and they have lived in Liberty Lake, where Echo still resides.
Armand?s interests were many and varied but, like most of the Hansen brothers, his favorite hobbies always involved motors and speed? be it cars, boats or motor homes. He and his life-long friend Russ Williams raced hydroplanes in the 1960s and ?70s. Later, he enjoyed travelling in the motor home to the Oregon coast and other destinations with Echo and their much loved pets. Boating and fishing at Lake Pend Oreille, building hot rods, and attending the twice-yearly Hansen family barbeques in Moses Lake to show off the latest hot rods were all activities Armand enjoyed. He and his high school friend Harold Merkley spent hours on the phone every week having a great time telling lies to each other.
He is survived by his wife, Echo, his children Debbie Hansen (Dave Hansen), Cheryl Hansen (Dave Welter), Steve Hansen (Alice), Echo?s children Rodney Smith (Michelle), and Shelly Gosse (John), former wife Loretta Kaminski (Frank), seven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. Echo?s sister and her husband, Donna and Phil Heinen, have provided endless time and comfort for both Armand and Echo in recent years. Also surviving Armand are his five brothers, Mick, Greg, Bill, Dick, and Roger, a large contingent of Hansen and Ceis cousins, and many nieces and nephews.
Viewing hours 10:00 to 12:30 on Saturday, September 28. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, September 28, at 1:00 p.m. at Heritage Funeral Home, 508 N. Government Way, with burial following at Spokane Memorial Gardens.
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