Royal Glenn Hansen, 85

Royal Glenn Hansen, 85, born to William Alexander Hansen and Helen Lucille (Hopkins) Hansen on Oct. 28, 1939, in Glasgow. He passed away on March 19, 2025, in Kalispell due to health complications. He will be missed by his family, friends, and the occasional stranger he would stumble upon who then became a lifelong acquaintance. 

He was preceded in death by his father, William (Bill) A. Hansen in 1989; his first wife, Martha Raye (Evenson) Hansen; daughter, Deborah M. (Hansen) Knutsen; mother, Helen L. (Hopkins) Hansen and sister, Muriel J. (Hansen) Johnson. 

He is survived by his second wife Tressa (Brandewie) Hansen; son, Scott A. Hansen; brothers, Larry (Kathy) Hansen, Marvin Hansen, William (Bill) (Colleen) Hansens; two grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. 

Royal had several vocations and a full life indeed. He worked for his dad at an early age in the family sawmill in Northwest Montana from 1952-1958. He graduated from the University of Montana with a BS in Forestry in 1963. This led him and Martha to move to Southeast Alaska and ultimately to North Pole, Alaska, where he worked for the Division of Lands until 1976. Royal was always good with his hands and had a strong work ethic. If you knew Royal, you could see he was ambitious and strived to be more for himself and his growing family. In 1976, Royal and his brother, Larry, formed a thriving construction partnership and became well-known and respected builders in North Pole real estate circles. After many years as a successful business owner, he retired in 2002 and moved back to his hometown of Bigfork in 2017. 

Royal and Tressa were married in Montana on May 9, 2017, and enjoyed traveling together with friends and family. Their best trips were driving the beautiful Alaska Highway and fishing for Silvers in Valdez. They enjoyed landscaping and working on their home in Bigfork. Royal was a "goer" and was always headed somewhere whether it was drive through the park with Tressa or headed to town to have breakfast with his brothers, cousins and nephew. 

He had a passion and love for the outdoors—his heart was always in Alaska. For 35 years he enjoyed hunting trips with family and friends on the Nowitna and Koyukuk Rivers and dip netting in the Copper River at Chitna. He enjoyed the pristine waters, breathtaking scenery, and calm quiet community of Valdez...unless the fish weren't biting, then he was out of there! Every time you went out on the water with him, he would have to show you the latest in high-tech gadgets he installed on his boat. He was a very sharp individual even at the ripe old age of 85. Never wanting to waste the day he would be up at dawn, which in Alaska, during the summer made for a 14-hour day. He would be dropping his shrimp pots, fishing for salmon, or hunting for moose, caribou, bear, and goats until he ran out of gas either in his boat or his body. All of us who fished and hunted with him knew he did his research on places to go, and couldn't wait to join him as we knew our chances of success were high if he was leading the expedition. 

Everyone, who knew him and cared for him is blessed with fond memories of the many trips and bull sessions we shared with him over the decades and will all miss him deeply. 

A memorial service will be held at Crossroads Christian Fellowship, 7465 Montana Highway 35, Bigfork on April 14, 1 p.m. There will be a potluck lunch at the church following the service and all are welcome. 

In lieu of flowers those who would like to remember Royal are encouraged to make a donation to the Bigfork QRU in his name.