Dr. Kevin E. Hansen, October 7, 1982 • March 6, 2022
Kevin Erwin Hansen was born October 7, 1982, to Keith and Sheri Hansen in Appleton, Minnesota. He was baptized in Christian Faith at Louisburg Lutheran Church, November 14, 1982. He was confirmed at Louisburg Lutheran Church June 28, 1998. He graduated from Lac qui Parle Valley High School in 2001.
After graduation, he started his college years at Gustavus Adolphus College where he studied theatre and music and sang in the Gustavus Adolphus Chorale. He always had a passion for law so, after graduating from Gustavus, Kevin attended William Mitchell Law School, graduating in 2008 with his Juris Doctorate. Kevin then went to work for ElderCare Rights Alliance as an attorney and victim advocate. This job led him to a bigger calling at the State Ombudsman’s Office for Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities where Kevin worked as an attorney and ombudsman specialist for two years. While working with ElderCare Rights Alliance and the state ombudsman’s office, he also worked closely with advocates at the state legislative level to strengthen adult protection services statutes. He was particularly successful in changing the responses and penalties for financial exploitation.
In 2011, Kevin moved to Tampa, Florida, to earn his Ph. D. at the University of South Florida. He also studied at the Stetson University College of Law at the same time. In 2015, he graduated from USF with his Ph. D. in Aging Studies and with his LL.M. in Elder Law from Stetson. Kevin was always a natural-born teacher so his next path took him back to college, this time as a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. During the four years he was in Eau Claire, he taught health care administration and aging studies. He was then recruited by staff at Bellarmine University in Louisville, KY. While at Bellarmine, Kevin helped expand the health care administration and aging studies programs.
Along with his passion for elder rights, Kevin was a fierce advocate for the LGBTQ population. He was involved with the Q’nnect program at Bellarmine, mentoring and supporting new and returning LGBTQ students.
In his free time, Kevin played softball in multiple leagues in every city he lived in. He also enjoyed playing dodgeball and volleyball. He sang in several choirs throughout his many moves across the country.
Family was a huge part of Kevin’s life. Though he lived many miles away, he was in daily contact with his mom and did frequent video chats with his nieces and nephew to put together complex Lego projects. When he did make trips home, time was well spent relaxing at the lake and running around on the farm giving 4-wheeler rides.
Kevin is survived by his mom, Sheri Hansen, his sister, Kelly Michaelson, three nieces: Averi, Stella and Chloe; one nephew, Jaden, grandma, Barbara Gochenour and his beloved dog, Thor, as well as many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.
Kevin is welcomed in heaven by his dad, Keith, grandparents, Chuck and Doris Hansen, Robert Krejci and William Gochenour, and his angel dogs, Toby and Droopy.
