On Saturday, April 4th, Scott Alan Hansing peacefully passed away in his Bloomington home. He was 56 years young. 

Scott was a beloved father, son, brother, uncle, and friend, preceded in death by his adoring mom, Sharrie. With his passing comes a profound emptiness, keenly felt by those of us mourning his loss. But in these times, we must allow ourselves to remember and focus on the good:  motorcycle rides, pool parties, movie nights, cabin trips, and, of course, Aerosmith. 

Scott had a deep love for children and he knew he wanted to be a dad from an early age. His greatest source of pride and he would likely argue, his life’s best work, was undoubtedly his two beautiful daughters, Kate and Olivia, whom he loved endlessly and for whom he held immense pride. After Kate and Olivia arrived, he was eager to be the very best dad he could be. Scott worked tirelessly to provide them the very best education, a beautiful home, copious amounts of animals, a beloved cabin, and unending love. 

Scott loved all animals, large and small.  It wasn’t unusual for him to stop his car in the middle of tree-lined roads near the cabin to rescue a turtle from certain death.  He encouraged similar love and behaviors in his children.  He was a part-time dad to a mangy mutt called Herman and an 11-year-old turtle named Aqua. Frankly, he was at his best when his family and animals were around. 

In 2007, Scott became an uncle to his nephew Hayden, who he loved with the same adoration as his own children.  Scott made sure he was first in the room and the first in the family to hold Hayden as a newborn. He could be relied on for changing, feeding, reading to, and endlessly teasing Hayden. Hayden enjoyed having few rules at Uncle Scott’s house and cabin, and Scott’s sister Beth adopted a “won’t ask, don’t tell” policy when it came to sleepovers. As Hayden got older, Uncle Scott became his cheerleader at basketball games, and in life, with his hallmark combination of humor, affection, and brutal honesty. 

In his youth, Scott was an accomplished athlete, taking to soccer from a young age. As a goalkeeper, brother Marc often describes the terror that accompanied his misguided attempts to block Scott’s flawless and wicked shots. His skills would make him the captain of his high school team, and the Gustavus Adolphus men’s team. Later, he took up the head coach position of the Augsburg women’s soccer team, bringing the team to double-digit wins for the first time in 10 years. His joy for the game peaked when he accepted the honor of coaching both Kate and Olivia’s youth teams. 

Scott was fiercely independent, strong-willed, and unrelenting–– to put it mildly. These were qualities anyone could attest to, even minutes after meeting him. This was seen in his unwillingness to work for anyone other than himself, a mission he accomplished after founding “Hansing Company,” and later “Inspect One” home inspection services, which he operated and loved for nearly 30 years, from which he cultivated many life-long colleagues and friends. 

He was also exceptionally generous. You could always count on Scott to put money toward dinners, ice cream or unique gifts found online, late at night, such as an authentic and autographed Max Kepler MLB jersey for nephew Hayden.

“The Cabin” was a dream of Scott’s for many years.  After years of searching, he found the perfect spot.  It was located on the tiny, 180-acre Big Bear Lake.  With very little help or assistance, he spent every weekend for over a year renovating the cabin to make it a cozy and happy place to share with his children, family, animals, and friends alike.  The cabin is the Hansing family hotspot. From barbecues and campfires, to boat rides, swimming, and playing the much-coveted game of “track-ball” in the sandy shallows. He saw, clearly, the happiness around him, and vowed to protect that for Kate, Olivia, and Hayden. And our hearts are full knowing that the cabin will continue to be a source of joy and love for the Hansing family and their dogs, and that we will always find his love and the very best parts of him there. 

To our father, our brother, our uncle, and our son: you have left us all with a longing in our hearts, and a sense of profound sadness that will stay with us forever. We will take what you have generously given and we will learn from it. We will remember you in your best moments and celebrate the man you always strove to be. We will take solace in the fact that you are now free from pain. Rest easy Dad. 

Thank you for giving us all that you could. We will miss you. 

We love you Scott.

We love you Dad. 

Details for a Celebration of Life to come in the future.