Waynesville, Roger Bruce Hansen, 79, passed away on Sunday, July 31, 2022.

Roger was born into a military family and lived in France for several years before the family settled in Aptos, California.  Prior to graduating from San Francisco State University, he served in the United States Army, 82nd Airborne Division.  Roger worked as a bush pilot in Alaska before entering his long career as a commercial airline pilot.  He retired from Delta Airlines after 36 years of traveling worldwide on trans-Atlantic flights along with his flight attendant wife, Mary.  They resided in Aptos, California during much of this tenure.  Following his retirement as a pilot, they moved to Waynesville, North Carolina, where they have resided for the last 18 years, and where he worked for 15 years as a real estate broker with Re/Max. 

He is survived by his wife of 28 years, Mary Worth Hansen; and a son, Michael Hansen, who lives in California.

A memorial service will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 4, 2022, in the Waynesville chapel of Wells Funeral Home with Reverend Tim McConnell, officiating.  Military Honors will follow the service.  The family will receive friends from 1:30 until 3:00 p.m. at the funeral home. 

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory can be made to SARGE’s Animal Rescue Foundation, PO Box 854, Waynesville, NC 28786 or Cashiers-Highlands Humane Society, 200 Gable Drive, Sapphire, NC 28774, or Pug Rescue of North Carolina, www.pugrescuenc.org, PO Box 10601, Virginia Beach, VA  23450.

The care of Mr. Hansen has been entrusted to Wells Funeral Home of Waynesville.