Faith L. Hansen: Feb. 16, 1922 – May 13, 2020

Faith Hansen, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and great-great grandmother passed away peacefully on May 13, 2020.

Faith was born Feb. 16, 1922 to parents Clarence and Marian Larsen, of Mercer Island, Wash.

Faith attended Garfield High School and graduated from the University of Washington in 1943, earning a bachelor’s of science degree with a major in botany. She was a member of the Alpha Xi Delta Sorority.

Faith married Ensign John J. Donnelly in 1944 and they had one daughter, Jean Donnelly. During the war, Faith worked for Boeing, inspecting planes and serving in the Red Cross. Following the death of her husband, Faith married Richard R. Hansen, of Mercer Island, in 1948. They moved to Whidbey Island, Wash., in 1949 and resided on Oceanside Farm in Coupeville, originally homesteaded by the Samuel Libbey family in 1850. Together, they raised seven daughters on the 200-acre farm on which she lived for 69 years.

To supplement the farm income, they purchased the Coupeville Wharf in 1949 and managed the Coupeville Wharf and Seed, Co. until 1968, when it was sold to the Port of Coupeville. Faith was a longtime member of the Episcopal Church and, more recently, a member of Grace by the Sea.

She was an avid reader and read aloud to her daughters almost every night. She loved growing things and instilled that love in her family. Always curious, she loved collecting specimens of kelp, shells and agates from West Beach. She was never too tired to go for a walk on the beach or the nearby Kettles.

Faith will be remembered for her generous heart, sweet smile, love of nature and her faith.

She is preceded in death by her sisters, Ruth Mary, Margaret and Marian; her husband of 57 years, Richard Hansen; daughter, Jean Iverson; and son-in-law Bob Johnson.

She is survived by her brother, Howland Larsen (Joan); six daughters, Karen Salazar (Lee), Mary Hansen, Ruth Sutton (Steve), Lael Johnson, Carol Hansen, and Lydia Moreno (Vic); and numerous grandchildren, great and great-great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at a future date.

To share memories of Faith, please sign the online guestbook at www.evanschapel.com