Gladys Hansen

Gladys Hansen, a beloved member of our Kingswood fellowship, concluded her life on earth on Feb. 15th at the age of 92, and while we mourn her death we also join with her husband Knud and all her family in giving thanks for her wonderful life. Her memorial service will be held on March 29th, 1:00, at Central United Methodist Church in Endicott, NY and her official obituary can be found at this link: https://colemananddaniels.com/tribute/details/3365/Gladys-Hansen/obituary, but here are some Kingswood-related reflections from Jim and Holly Moore:

Gladys and Knud were married for 73 years and two important aspects of the life they shared were a commitment to the Methodist Church (in Brooklyn, Staten Island and Woodstock congregations) and a love for our Methodist camps.

Their initial camp experience was at Sessions Woods, a New York Conference camp in Connecticut. Knud, a teacher, spent three entire summers there in the 1970’s as the camp director, with Gladys and their young children staying at the camp as well. When the conference decided to close and sell Sessions Woods the Hansens switched their allegiance to Kingswood, thus beginning a relationship that spanned more than 40 years.

Gladys and Knud met several generations of campers over the course of their managing career, welcoming everyone – children, youth and adults – with an engaging warmth. They also befriended all the program directors and lifeguards they met during these years, and though not required to do so, Gladys always invited these staff members to eat with them at the farmhouse. That kind of generosity and warmth was just part of her nature.

Because they usually were managers for the first week of the season the Hansens found themselves doing a lot of last-minute preparatory work to get the camp ship-shape, which led to Gladys’ inspiration of “Senior Week.” At the Hansens’ invitation a group of youngish retiree friends came the week before camp to help with the set-up – mowing, cleaning and setting up each site, getting the barn ready, etc. – and a tradition was born. They worked hard in the daytime but knocked off by late afternoon to enjoy fellowship, food, trips to ballgames in Binghampton, and lots of laughter. The work got done, but in addition – as often happens at Kingswood – many rich and lasting relationships were formed, some of which last to this day. The tradition of Senior Week continues, though now often compressed into a few hard-working days, but Gladys (along with Knud) is always remembered with great fondness.

Gladys was a wonderful member of our Kingswood family, whose love and spirit will always be with us. We are so thankful as we remember her life.