Allan Kent Hansell, born August 8, 1943, passed away on August 22, 2018.
Growing up, Allan lived in Essex Fells at 35 Essex Rd. and attended Essex Fells School K – 8, after which he transferred to the Montclair schools as did several other of our classmates from Essex Fells.
After high school, Allan graduated from Earlham College, Richmond, Indiana in 1965 with a degree in Biology. His activity was volleyball, not basketball, although he was 6'5.” In 1966 he married Margaret A. (“Margy”) Maves, born in Middlebury,Vermont and raised in Madison, New Jersey, a '66 Earlham graduate, At the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Allan received his MS degree and his PhD. He became Professor of Biology at St. Mary's College in Moraga, California, moving to Walnut Creek in 1972. Margy became an attorney after her diagnosis of Parkinson's, receiving her JD from Golden Gate University and practicing law in California. Allan retired as head of the Biology Department and moved to Vernon, Vermont to be near family and to take care of Margy who was in a care facility until she died in June 2013.
https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/eastbaytimes/obituary.aspx?n=margaret-hansell&pid=165460641
Allan was featured in a profile on the St. Mary's College website with a nice photo of him.
https://www.stmarys-ca.edu/allan-hansell
On Facebook, a friend posted this about Allan. Terry Ann Degan Black wrote, “Allan Hansell was a dear friend. I went K-8 with him at Essex Fells School. He went to MHS after and we never reconnected until 2007 when I found he lived in Walnut Creek, CA, the city next to me. He got his PhD and was head of the Science and Biology Department at St. Mary's College in Moraga, CA. Allan was married to Margy for many years. She was an attorney and had Parkinson's. Allan moved to Vermont a few years ago to be close to his kids and Margy who was in a nursing facility. He visited us last summer when he came West to see the eclipse. His children are Shana and Seth. He has 2 grandchildren. Allan was tall (6'5") and handsome! He was a wonderful man and we will miss him.”