Egil Hansen

With great sadness, we share the loss of our husband, father and grandfather Egil (Gil) Hansen. He died peacefully in his sleep at the age of 90, dearly loved by his wife Ann, and his family, Kelli and her partner Sarah, Lisa and her partner Anthony, his beloved son Paul, and his grandchildren, Kai and Ingrid, who were his greatest joy. 

Gil is survived by his brother Asger, dear nephew Allan, and brother-in-law Ernst Madsen (Anny) in Denmark. His adopted Canadian family in southern Alberta and many friends and family in Alberta and BC will all miss his extraordinary presence.

Gil was born on the island of Aero, in Denmark and spent his formative years during the war and occupation, an experience that influenced his values and instilled in him a lasting commitment to making the most of life. As a young man he served in the Royal Danish Horse Guards, where he excelled in horsemanship and developed a lifelong passion for horses. Gil’s sense of adventure brought him to Canada aboard the Queen Mary in 1958, when he and his friends had their passage paid to work in Western Canda as farm hands. We will remember his childhood stories about surviving the war from a child’s perspective, and hilarious new beginnings as a young man in Canada, not speaking English, experiencing prairie winters, and loving every minute.

Gil’s entrepreneurial spirit and love for building and modern architecture led him into the construction business and he travelled Alberta widely building hundreds of projects, including the Canmore Nordic Centre and Frank Slide Interpretive Centre. Gil was known for his passion for new projects and relentless drive and hard work. He loved nothing better than to complete a building project and start another.

Gil was a skilled trapshooter who represented Team Alberta in competitive events. His true passion was for horses, and he bred and rode several hunters and jumpers, switching to dressage in his later years. Gil was proud to reach the grand prix dressage level and was the third Canadian to be made a member of the ‘century club’.   Even into his late 80s he was active in the Horse Council of BC and the Sunshine Coast Gun Club.

Gil met his soul mate Ann when he came to work near her family’s farm in southern Alberta. They met in their 20s and celebrated a lifetime together with their 64th wedding anniversary in their late 80s. Gil and Ann raised their family in Calgary and Gil shared his love of the outdoors and exploring with family camping trips in southern Alberta, building their cabin in the Crowsnest pass, and fishing with three kids in the Kananaskis. They supported one another’s pursuits and had many years of fun dedicated to their horses and labradors. Gil and Ann moved to the West Coast late in life to be close to their kids and grandchildren. Pappi was always an eternal optimist, inspiring his family with his active mind, paired with an even more active body. He was in constant motion, a perfect day was going to the gym, riding a   horse, walking his dogs, a little gardening, and then carving a duck. Pappi took great care of his lifelong companion Ann and showed us through his love and enduring dedication to his family, a path to life well lived.

With heartfelt gratitude from Gil’s family to Dr. Reznik, Sechelt hospital, and the many kind and caring teams that cared for him.

In Gil’s memory please consider donating to The Kids in Motion Program (KIMP) who fund activities for kids such as therapeutic riding on the Sunshine Coast (SCCS)

Donate :: Building Together  (KIM)

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Egil Hansen, please visit our floral store.