I first met Fred and Barb Hansen in what seems like another time period.

It was the Fountain Hills Bowling League, in the days when the town had its own bowling center. Barb and my wife, Diane, were annually the top two women bowlers in the league.

The Hansens also put on some great parties over the years at their Salida Drive home. Since moving here in 1989, they have become active in the community. Sunday, March 5, they left their mark as major donors when they presented a check to the Fountain Hills Theater.

I decided to do my column this week on this special couple so everyone knows a little more about them and what they have done to make this community a better place to live. Barb was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Western Michigan University, earning a Bachelor of Science Degree, majoring in business with a minor in communication. Her medical career spans 56 years. She was the office manager of a three-doctor dermatology practice in Kalamazoo for 28 years.

She moved to Fountain Hills in 1989 and immediately began as the Medical Business Administrator for AAP Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery, PC. She has now been with Dr. Ronald Glick for 28 years. However, from 1990-1992, she added a “bucket list”. She was a part-time adjunct instructor at Lamson Junior College in Phoenix, teaching in the evenings after working her “regular” job.

When inducted into the Lower Verde River Valley Hall of Fame in 2007, she was described as “the Town’s most tireless volunteer.” A founding member of the Four Peaks Women’s Club in 1997, Barb was its first President and remains active in the service club and serves on the board currently.

She has served on the board of the Civic Association, now the Fountain Hills Cultural and Civic Assn., for over 15 years. She served as Secretary for eight years and is currently Vice President. Barb has been President of the Lower Verde River Valley Museum Foundation Board for two years and has chaired the Hall of Fame Committee since 2009.

She has also served on the Boards of Fountain Hills Senior Services, Fountain Hills Theater, Friends of the Theater, Fountain Hills Sister Cities, Pima Medical Center, Western Michigan University Foundation. Memberships, past and current, have included the Fountain Hills Historical Society, Fountain Hills Automobile Club, Friends in the Hills group, Sun Ridge Foundation Silent Auction Committee, The Fountain Hills Boys and Girls Club, Fountain Lake Republican Women’s Club, Fountain Hills Friends of the Chamber, Fountain Hills LEAP, Vision Fountain Hills, Alumni Board of Western Michigan University, Davenport College (Kalamazoo) Medical Administrative Assistant Advisory, Noon Kiwanis.

Barb revived the Christmas Home Decorating Contest and has actively served on many planning committees for special events.

Honors have included Scholastic All American from the United States Achievement Academy, Golden Key National Honor Society, Dale Carnegie Human Relations Award, and Outstanding Teacher Award from Lamson Junior College.

In her “spare” time, she loves to be with friends, play cards, golf and enjoy her Book Club.

She and Fred met in 1974 when Fred and his wife, Nancy, moved to Kalamazoo and their children played hockey together. When the Hansens moved to Florida, they kept in touch yearly through Christmas letters. After 34 years of marriage, Nancy passed away from liver cancer in Mississippi in 1992. Barb was sadly divorced at the same time. Months later, Barb and Fred corresponded and talked by phone. Both surprised by the turn of events, Barb and Fred were married in May, 1993. They have had a fun-filled marriage for 24 years. Together they have six children, 11 grandchildren, and one great-grandson. Barb is a member of The Church of the Ascension in Fountain Hills and Fred is a member of the FH Presbyterian Church. They often do double-duty.

Fred was born and raised in Hackensack, New Jersey. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Bowling Green State University in 1956 and his Master of Education from Bowling Green State University in 1968. He received a C.F.R.E Certification in 1989.

In 1956-1957, Fred was a teacher and coach at Montgomery Local Public School in Ohio, teaching Junior High Science, Physical Education and coached basketball and baseball. In 1957, he served as Second Lieutenant in the Army Artillery at Fort Sill, OK for the United States Army and Fort Dix, NJ. He served eight years in the reserves, with an honorable discharge in 1965.

From 1958 through 1965, he taught and coached at several schools including Shaker Heights Public School System in Ohio, Hackensack High School in New Jersey, Dwight Morrow High School in Englewood NJ. As a soccer coach at Hackensack HS and basketball coach at Englewood, Fred’s teams earned State Championships.

From 1965 to 1971, he was the Assistant Director of Alumni Relations at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. From 1971-74, he became the Associate Director of Alumni Relations at Bowling Green. From 1974 to 1976, he was the Director of Alumni Relations at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. His talents were being noticed around the country, and he then was hired by Florida State University to be the Director of Annual Funds. This led to being Director of Development for the College of Business at Florida State. In 1983, Illinois State came calling and he was Director of Development from 1983-1989. In 1990, Mississippi State in Starkville, MS recruited him to be their Executive Director of Development and President of the Foundation. He loved this job, but with the death of his wife, and later being in touch with Barb, he decided to pick up and move to Fountain Hills in 1993.

Having served at five universities, he thought it might be interesting to raise money for another entity. Payson Regional Medical Center in Payson, AZ hired Fred to be their Director of Development until his retirement in 1997. Fred was well known in his field for raising millions of dollars for the universities.

Special honors and awards include All Mid-American Conference Baseball player 1956; Outstanding Baseball Player Award in 1955 and 1956 (which earned him a tryout with the New York Yankees.); Outstanding Young Man of America, 1966; Alumnus of the Year Award from Delta Upsilon Fraternity 1967; Member of Phi Delta Kappa Men’s Honorary in Education; President Mid-American Conference Alumni Director’s Organization 1973-1975; C.A.S.E. District V Conference Committee 1974 and State and National awards for the production of fund-raising brochures.

In Fountain Hills, Fred made an immediate mark when he joined the Historical Society and introduced the 50/50 drawing to the membership. He was honored by the Hall of Fame for being the Father of the 50/50 in Fountain Hills. Many clubs in the community now have 50/50 drawings.

Fred is an active member of the FH Coin Club and the FH Historical Society. He has served as an Elder at the FH Presbyterian Church and also served on the Sun Ridge Foundation Charity Auction Committee. People who know him know that two of his favorite things to do are going to garage sales and playing poker with his buddies.

Barb maintains that without Fred, she could never be the volunteer that she is. “He is my love, my support and my backbone.’

I wonder when they sleep?