Hugh B. Hanson ’47

Hugh was a wonderfully talented, beloved classmate — a blithe spirit who enriched our lives.

At Princeton, he excelled in engineering, led the Glee Club, inspired spontaneous songfests, and wrote the book for "Clear the Track" — a superb Triangle show. After graduation, in 1952, he married Martha Ann, a talented singer who joined Hugh in many musical activities.

For 39 years, he worked in the paper production business, uniting this vocation with a rewarding avocation: a project to restore Rittenhouse Village in Philadelphia's Wissahickon Park, site of America's first paper mill.

Hugh served us brilliantly as a class officer, and as a composer of many '47 songs and of signs we all carried in reunion parades that inspired raucous cheers from onlookers. He led our Lend a Hand project, which encouraged and recorded the diverse public services still rendered by many aging classmates.

During a recent mini, he continued to light up our lives, especially when we joined in singing his creation, "Flutterby Little Butterfly," while we glided down the Mississippi.

On Dec. 12, 2005, Hugh, who had serious cardiac problems, went peacefully to sleep with his dog on his lap. He never woke up.

To Martha Ann, the children, and grandchildren, this celebration with our love.

The Class of 1947