William “Pete” Hansen, a mountain of a man with a heart to match, died peacefully in his sleep surrounded by loved ones on Aug. 22, at the age of 76.
Pete was born on June 2, 1940, the son of the late Adam Hansen and Dorothy (Maxim) Hansen. He is predeceased by a stepmother, Emily (Messier) Hansen.
He was raised in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn and went to school at Fort Hamilton High School. He showed a keen interest and wonderful talent in fixing things, and decided to pursue a career as a plumber.
Pete moved to Addison County during the early 1970s, and would reside on Monkton, Ferrisburgh and Lincoln before finally making his home in Bristol. His plumbing services were highly sought after throughout his lengthy career, even as his body showed signs of wear and tear from decades of bending and crawling into tight spaces. Pete provided plumbing services to hundreds of homes in the Addison County area, and he also worked several years at both Simmonds Precision and Ben & Jerry’s Homemade.
Pete enjoyed life to the fullest, living by the credo of “You only go around once.” He was an avid fisherman and hunter. He also enjoyed his weekly game of cards. He loved being around people, and the feeling was always mutual. Everywhere he went, he brought people together.
Pete is survived by a former wife, Judith Imbriale, with whom he had two children, William Hansen of Roxbury and Judy Lee Hansen of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. He had a son, Bill Heins, of Lynnfield, Mass., from a previous relationship. He is also survived by a sister, Diane (Hansen) Heffernan of Bristol; and a brother, John Hansen of Rochester, N.Y.; two grandchildren, Raz and Lena; numerous nieces and nephews; and a special friend, Claire Rivers of Vergennes.
Pete and his faithful dachshund, Princess, were inseparable.
Pete’s life was celebrated at a service scheduled for 10 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 25, at St. Ambrose Church in Bristol.
Contributions in his memory can be made to Addison County Home Health & Hospice and the Bristol Rescue Squad.