Sherry (Ballou) Hanson

Sherry (Ballou) Hanson 1944 – 2022 PORTLAND, Ore. – Sherry was born in Newton, Massachusetts Jan. 17, 1944, to the late Arthur William and Marjorie (Clapp) Ballou. She is survived by her husband Harry Elmer Hanson of Portland, Oregon; son Harry Elmer Hanson Jr. of Arlington, Virginia, and his son Braddock Alexander Hanson of Charles Town, West Virginia; son Eric Leif Hanson of Portland, Oregon and his wife Jennifer (White) Hanson, and their children Ethan Wayne Hanson and Jane Catherine Hanson. She is also survived by sister Julia Ballou Wright of Concord, New Hampshire and brother Arthur (Pete) William Ballou and his wife Lorraine, and niece Tiffany Jade Ballou all residing on the Isle of Wight in England. Sister Candace Ballou Meads passed away in 2012 survived by Candi’s loving husband Brad Meads of Tampa, Fla. Cousins include Stephanie (Ballou) Bare of Arizona and Cathy (Ballou) Grandgent also in Arizona; Christine Ballou of Florida. Sherry graduated Needham High School and Newton Junior College, both in Massachusetts, later completing her B.A. at the University of Connecticut. She worked for several YMCA’s as a fitness and aquatic instructor in the early years, going on to become a freelance writer for several decades in Illinois, Maine and Oregon. During these years she worked various part time jobs while working as a writer. While raising her sons she served as PTA president in North Windham, Connecticut and was also involved with Cub Scouts before the family relocated to Dixon, Illinois, where she volunteered as a timer and refreshment organizer for Dixon High School (Illinois) track and field. Sherry began her writing career in Dixon after ending 17 years working for the YMCA. She spoke as a representative for the Writers in the Schools program at both the elementary and high school level. While living in Illinois, Sherry taught others how to get their writings published through adult education programs at Sauk Valley College and founded Sauk Valley Writers. Upon moving to Brunswick, Maine in 1992, she continued her writing career and taught for many years in the area adult education programs and through the University of Maine System’s enrichment curriculum. She taught her students how to get published, how to freelance, write for magazines and a poetry workshop titled Build-a-Poem. She served as co-president of Maine Media Women and filled many other roles for MMW at both the local and state level for several years. She worked briefly on the Fodor’s Travel Guides (Maine Coast; Best of New England) and participated in many poetry readings including at the Governor’s Mansion in Augusta and for Longfellow Days in Brunswick, before moving to Portland, Oregon in 2013. Sherry battled ovarian cancer five times and buried sister Candi who died of a head/neck cancer during Sherry’s second battle. Brother Pete survived leukemia in 2016. Their father died of leukemia in 1981. Over the course of her writing career Sherry won numerous awards for her articles, essays and poetry and published her own poetry collection, A Cab to Stonehenge, in 2006. Upon moving to Oregon, she became a volunteer for the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance of Oregon and Southwest Washington (OCRAOSWW). In 2016 Sherry was chosen as a scientific research advocate volunteer (SRA) for Knight Cancer Research Institute at the Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, for whom she volunteered until her passing, which occurred as a result of her fifth battle with ovarian cancer. Sherry so enjoyed any time spent, especially at Acadia National Park, with her sons, sister, brother, beloved grandchildren Ethan, Braddock and Janey, special friends Debra Brisbois and Cindy Carney and her many other Maine friends. A celebration of Sherry’s life will be held in Maine at a later date. Gifts in Sherry’s memory can be made to either: St. Labre Indian School 112 St Labre Campus Drive Ashland, Montana 59003 http://www.stlabre.org or to Friends of Acadia 43 Cottage Street Bar Harbor, ME 04609 http://www.friendsofacadia.org