Retired Vice Adm. Thor Hanson had a way of getting the best out of those he led without having to issue orders.
But it wasn't just military life that brought Hanson success. He was an accomplished musician who later ran the nation's premier MS advocacy group.
Hanson, a Rhodes scholar who was one of the first members of the Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus, died over the weekend from complications related to Alzheimer's disease and congestive heart failure. He was 79.
Highly motivated, Hanson had an inherent sense of decency and honor, always trying to account for the needs of others during a life dedicated to making the world a safer, better place, said his wife, Charlotte Edens Hanson.
Born in Amarillo, Texas, on May 7, 1928, Hanson grew up in the Great Depression, an experience that instilled in him the values of hard work and justice.
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"If you have a very difficult childhood, you learn that if you work hard, you can make a difference," his wife said.
Raised in Tucson, Hanson delivered the Saturday Evening Post and also joined the chorus during its formative years.
Donald Pitt, a local investor who was a lifelong friend of Hanson's, was in the choir and remembers being drawn to him.
"He's a man who lived with dignity," Pitt said. "He wasn't like most of them — he led a totally dedicated life."
Hanson was valedictorian at Tucson High School and attended the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.
Traveling far and wide during his 36-year career in the military, Hanson remained motivated by his early years in Tucson, his wife said.
As a child, he was undersized and didn't grow until he was at the academy. The experience would prove useful during his years as a military commander because it served as a reminder of what it was like to be the underdog and taught him the importance of compassion, his wife said.
"It gave him a sense of empathy," she said. "To make an organization work, you have to be sensitive to the needs of others."
Perhaps Hanson's greatest gift as a leader was his ability to give orders to subordinates in a direct but understated way.
"What I always saw in Thor was his ability to communicate and direct people without ever having them feel that a command was being issued," Pitt said. "He had a way of achieving goals pleasantly."
After retiring from the Navy, Hanson took on a new command as president and CEO of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, where he worked from 1982 to 1992.
Hanson's impact was immediate, said Arney Rosenblat, a spokeswoman for the national group, which is dedicated to helping those with MS get therapy to reduce the impact of the disease.
In his 10 years at the top of the organization, Hanson doubled its budget and invested heavily in research.
The research proved fruitful, as it laid the foundation for many of the therapy treatments approved for MS, Rosenblat said.
"More money equaled more research and more programs," she said. "It wasn't money for a balance sheet, it was money to get things done."
He returned to Tucson and got back to his musical roots, serving on the board of directors for the Tucson Boys Chorus.
Even as his health was fading, he remained upbeat and determined to help in whatever way he could. It was just one more way Hanson led by example, Pitt said.
"He was an elegant man," he said. "A bright, reliable, caring human being. If he had been my commanding officer, he would've been an easy person to accept an order from."
