Ray Earl Hansen, 79

Ray Earl Hansen, 79, peacefully passed away on the afternoon of June 17, 2024, at his home in Wallace, Idaho. He was born Sept. 13, 1944, in Boise, Idaho. Unofficially, the cause of his unfortunate passing was most likely due to him being “Just too gosh-darn good-looking.” On a less comical note, Ray was the son of his late, yet very nurturing parents, Leo Hansen and Grace (Mobberley) Hansen, who also spent most of their lives in Wallace, Idaho. As for his younger siblings, he was survived by his brother, John Hansen, of Wallace, Idaho, along with his two sisters, Merrie McElroy of Spokane, Wash., and Karen Weybright of Boise, Idaho. Ray was also survived by his beloved son, Rian Wallace Hansen, along with Rian’s primary family, including an extremely loving wife, Rachel Ayers, a thoughtful son, Ethan Hunter, more than delightful daughters Amber Pederson, Ash Lopez, and the youngest gem of them all, Bonnie Victoria Hansen; all hailing from the Silverton, Ore., area. In addition to his parents, siblings and son … Ray always welcomed and valued the many nieces and nephews who largely treasured him during their childhood years in the valley. Lastly, Ray was also preceded in death by his high school sweetheart, former wife and lifelong best friend by the name of Rene Rose Faucet. With all of the above and many more, he always held a unique bond with his entire family, respecting everyone’s differences while valuing their togetherness with open arms.

In his youthful years, Ray enjoyed being that well-known, fun-loving boy who loved growing up in Wallace on High Street behind the town pool. In his teen years, he graduated from Wallace High School, Class of 1962. He was well known for seeking out friendly, yet mischievous adventures and hoping to land that beautiful spouse of his own someday. In his early 20s, his pursuits quickly became a reality via avidly collecting uniquely shaped glass and ceramic insulators from the tops of many backcountry power lines while quickly falling head over heels in love with Rene Rose Faucet. With more trusted friends than we could count, he spent much of his free time exploring the beautiful landscapes of the gorgeous Silver Valley. In his early 30s, Ray went on to become a lifelong silver miner, mucking precious minerals from the various mines in the Silver Valley, including the Sunshine, Lucky Friday and Star mines. It was there where he found an unbeatable level of underground comradery and loyal kinship at the Galena mine. The Galena was his favorite mine, where he eventually became a lifelong hoistman/operator for 20+ years until he retired with the mining nicknames of Airwolf, Wolfie and Wolfman.

After his young marriage with Rene was simplified to a lifelong commitment as best friends in their mid-20s, there were a few more additional romantic opportunities within the Silver Valley. Throughout his adult years, he was also largely known for recreationally collecting vintage antiques ranging from iconic Coca-Cola memorabilia, Star Trek keepsakes, Garfield and Ziggy comics, chandelier crystals, valuable coins, QVC specials and, of course, anything that he could recreationally inflate and take down the Northfork river. He often floated from Avery and eventually ended up at “The Rock” or the Bumble Bee area. In addition to floating the river, he also enjoyed building his own style of handmade wooden furniture for many of his camping trips and porch decor. During all of the above recreational activities, he treasured meeting new people from all walks of life and loved to offer them a detailed history of our historic town of Wallace whenever he found the opportunity. In his elderly years, he thoroughly enjoyed reconfirming his faith at the local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where he not only attended but was also recognized as an instructional teacher as well.

During his final assisted few years, Ray commented that the most valuable treasures from his life belong to the many unforgettable memories that he made with his son, Rian W. Hansen. With both laughter in his belly and tears of joy in his eyes, Ray and Rian spent hundreds of hours reminiscing about their many father-son barbecues on the back porch, floats down the river, sunsets on every local peak, jumping off the rock whenever possible, heading to Quinn’s hot springs in Montana, picking huckleberries, camping every summer, loving on his pet cats (Cripper — Panama — Hozer — Anastasia and Tonka), visiting Wild Waters in Coeur d’Alene, and exploring every trail from Yellow Dog Falls, Sunset Peak, She-Foot, etcetera along with any trail you could imagine within 60 square miles from Wallace. If you were to ask his son what his favorite memory with his father would be, Rian, who idolized his father for all of his childhood, would say, any minute that I could spend with my dad regardless of what we were doing. Finally, Ray and Rian’s last person-to-person conversation took place on Father’s Day, one day before his passing. This conversation was filled with an emotionally positive connection, gut-filled laughter and loving words of appreciation for one another. Ray Earl Hansen, you will be greatly missed and remembered by many who had a special place in your silver heart.

The celebration of life / memorial services for Ray will be held Saturday, June 29, 2024, at the Shoshone Funeral Services Chapel located at 106 S. Main St. Kellogg, Idaho. All friends and family members are graciously invited to attend this lightly catered ceremony from 11 a.m. to noon with a brief speaker from the local LDS congregation. Afterward, from noon to 1 p.m., the memorial will continue at the above location, specifically for his family members only. Afterward, for a less casual celebration at the local 1313 restaurant located in downtown Wallace, there will be a non-hosted gathering reception between the hours of 2 and 4 p.m., where additional stories and wonderful memories can be shared by all who attend. 

Any final messages of condolence may be shared with his family online at www.shoshonefuneralservice.com. In lieu of bringing flowers to the above ceremonies, there will be a volunteer donation box where all guests, family and friends are humbly encouraged to donate to the Wallace “Meals On Wheels” organization. This very well-known local charity helps provide warm, healthy food to elderly citizens in need. Ray would love you to do this on his behalf, as he was a gracious friend and participant in this wonderful organization. 

Ray Hansen, you are and will be greatly missed, cherished and, most importantly, loved here on Earth.