Obituary for Erle Sandlin Hansen
Erle Sandlin Hansen, 72 years old, passed away on March 22, 2023, surrounded by his wife and daughters. He was born in Racine, Wis., to Jerome and Juliet (Sandlin) Hansen on Dec. 1, 1950.
He attended Culver Military Academy in Culver, Indiana, graduating in 1968. Erle began working at his father’s company, Gales Manufacturing Corporation, in Racine on June 18, 1969 and continued working there for the remainder of his life, taking on full ownership at the time of Jerome’s passing in 1996. He met his wife, Marylis, in 1983 through mutual friends and they knew immediately that they were soulmates. They married on April 28, 1984, and continued to build their life in Racine.
Erle was a man of many interests including stargazing, geology, precious metals, birdwatching, dancing to loud music, and catching insects with his children and grandchildren. He was devoted to his many pets throughout the years, and there was not a cat that did not love him in return. Above all else, Erle was a dedicated husband, father, and grandfather, “Bubba.”
He was serious a lot of the time, but also had a wry sense of humor and possessed astonishing intelligence and wit. He touched many lives and was extremely generous to his family, employees, and friends. He will be greatly missed by his family but will always be thought of on a clear night, when eating ice cream, or when listening to the song of cicadas in the summer.
He is survived by his wife of nearly 40 years, Marylis (Muckler) Hansen, and two daughters, Claire (John) Harty and Juliana (Jordan) Schwehr, along with his three grandchildren, Lucas, Cora, and David Harty.
Services
A Memorial Service celebrating Erle’s life will be held at Maresh-Meredith & Acklam Funeral Home at 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 2, 2023. Relatives and friends are welcome to meet with the family for visitation on Sunday, from noon until the time of service at the funeral home. In lieu of sending flowers, please plant something in Erle’s memory.
Obituary and photo courtesy of Maresh-Meredith & Acklam Funeral Home.
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