Doug Hansen's Legacy Recalled
By Corey Lyons
Contra Costa Newspapers
Dec. 29, 2002
EL SOBRANTE -- More than 250 people crowded a hillside church Saturday to celebrate the life of a wildly popular youth baseball coach, Doug Hansen, whose life was cut short by cancer.
Dozens of former players joined friends and family members inside El Sobrante United Methodist Church, as rain pelted the roof and stained-glass windows.
Hansen, a married father of three, was described as a "neighborhood dad" whose passion for baseball was surpassed only by his fervor for teaching others how to play it.
Even as he lay dying of melanoma at 47, he told friends that he felt blessed to have a chance to reflect on his life and confide in those he loved. He died at his El Sobrante home Christmas Day and had a chance to bid farewell to his wife, Kari, and their children.
"This is a man, who, in the process of dying, taught us how to live," said the Rev. Gaye Benson.
His supporters filled the pew in damp jackets, expressing their love through prayers, tears and personal thoughts.
Kyle Toy, who played baseball for Hansen at De Anza High School, shared a college essay he wrote about his influential mentor. He described how Hansen taught him how to hit the ball to the right side to move a runner over from first base, how to appreciate life.
"He said, 'Don't die lying on a bed with tubes and drugs, die doing what you truly love,'" Toy said, his voice quavering.
Hansen was portrayed as patient and compassionate, but fiercely competitive. He taught his beloved sport through the Tara Hills youth baseball league, and, last season, served as an assistant coach for De Anza's varsity team.
When he bought a new house for his family in El Sobrante, he added a backyard batting cage that fast became a community attraction.
"Pretty much any kid who went through Tara Hills baseball spent time in that cage," said Vickie Bell, a close family friend who worked with Hansen at Pac Bell.
The Rev. P. David Schlager, a longtime friend, asked that De Anza's baseball diamond be renamed "Hansen Field" because of his dedication to the park.
Besides his wife, Hansen is survived by two daughters, Jessica Gamble and Erica Winfrey; a son, Brian Hansen; his father, Palmer Hansen; and a grandson, Austin Winfrey.
Contra Costa Newspapers
Dec. 29, 2002
EL SOBRANTE -- More than 250 people crowded a hillside church Saturday to celebrate the life of a wildly popular youth baseball coach, Doug Hansen, whose life was cut short by cancer.
Dozens of former players joined friends and family members inside El Sobrante United Methodist Church, as rain pelted the roof and stained-glass windows.
Hansen, a married father of three, was described as a "neighborhood dad" whose passion for baseball was surpassed only by his fervor for teaching others how to play it.
Even as he lay dying of melanoma at 47, he told friends that he felt blessed to have a chance to reflect on his life and confide in those he loved. He died at his El Sobrante home Christmas Day and had a chance to bid farewell to his wife, Kari, and their children.
"This is a man, who, in the process of dying, taught us how to live," said the Rev. Gaye Benson.
His supporters filled the pew in damp jackets, expressing their love through prayers, tears and personal thoughts.
Kyle Toy, who played baseball for Hansen at De Anza High School, shared a college essay he wrote about his influential mentor. He described how Hansen taught him how to hit the ball to the right side to move a runner over from first base, how to appreciate life.
"He said, 'Don't die lying on a bed with tubes and drugs, die doing what you truly love,'" Toy said, his voice quavering.
Hansen was portrayed as patient and compassionate, but fiercely competitive. He taught his beloved sport through the Tara Hills youth baseball league, and, last season, served as an assistant coach for De Anza's varsity team.
When he bought a new house for his family in El Sobrante, he added a backyard batting cage that fast became a community attraction.
"Pretty much any kid who went through Tara Hills baseball spent time in that cage," said Vickie Bell, a close family friend who worked with Hansen at Pac Bell.
The Rev. P. David Schlager, a longtime friend, asked that De Anza's baseball diamond be renamed "Hansen Field" because of his dedication to the park.
Besides his wife, Hansen is survived by two daughters, Jessica Gamble and Erica Winfrey; a son, Brian Hansen; his father, Palmer Hansen; and a grandson, Austin Winfrey.
posted by Corey at 2:34 PM
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