Ralph J. Berge Hansen

Ralph J Berge Hansen, 83, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Saturday Aug 20, 2016. Ralph was born March 3, 1933 to Mable Lindsay and Harold Berge Hansen in Salt Lake City, Utah where he lived the majority of his life.
After serving an LDS Mission to Brazil from March 1953 to Sept 1956, he met and was later sealed to Ruth Taylor on May 17, 1957 in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. They were married for almost 49 years and raised 6 children together before she passed away on May 13, 2006. Ralph reconnected with longtime family friend, Yvonne Burgess, a few years later and they were sealed on July 28, 2010 in the Jordan River LDS Temple.
Ralph joined the Army Reserves when he was 17 years old and served with them for 12 years. He served in the Quartermaster Corp, Artillery Corp and as a Psychologist in a General Hospital Unit. Ralph attended East High School and the University of Utah where he received his Bachelor’s Degree in 1960, M.S.W. in 1964 and his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology in 1977. Ralph worked at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital, Salt Lake County Welfare Department, LDS Hospital and LDS Social Services retiring in 1997. In 1990, while working for LDS Social Services, Ralph and his wife Ruth were transferred to Richfield, Utah to work with the Native Americans.  They loved this area and after Ralph’s retirement in 1997, he volunteered at the Gunnison prison.  He loved serving and teaching the inmates to heal themselves through what he called “God’s Therapy”.  He felt like he was making a difference. He would joke around and tell stories about when “he was in prison”. Ralph and Ruth later moved back to Sandy, Utah to be closer to their family. His goal, before he left his time on earth, was to write and publish his life story as well as the story of his mission to Brazil and his son Ronnie’s life story and have them printed and hard cover bound.  With the help and encouragement from his wife Yvonne and other family members he was able to accomplish this. He was in the process of typing up Ruth’s journals at the time of his death. Ralph also wrote a book about the therapy he believed so much in titled “God’s Therapy? –  My Search for the Healers Art”.
Ralph believed in the fundamental goodness and value of every person. He believed that all people can teach others something and that we all can learn from each other if we pay attention and notice. He believed that God is real and takes great interest in each and every person on the earth or has ever been on the earth and that He loves us all very much and wants us to be happy and succeed in our righteous desires. He is for righteous desires and behaviors; because He wants only happiness for us all and any else brings nothing but unhappiness. Ralph had a strong testimony of the gospel and the atonement.  He was an example of Christ like love to his family and those around him.
Ralph loved to play the piano at home and for various church callings.  Many of his children and grandchildren fondly remember the many nights listening to him play “Moonlight Sonata” or “Claire De Lune” on the piano while they were falling asleep. When his children were growing up they had 6:00 am family scripture study every morning. Patterned after his own parents, Ralph along with his wife, on the first Monday of every month would hold a Family Home Evening that would include ALL family members. Ralph always had a smile and a silly joke to tell.   Even during the trials he was experiencing with his health and even up until the end, he had a comment to lighten the mood. He loved his “boys” Scamp and Bandit and they gave him much joy in his later years. Most of all, he loved and valued both of the women he was fortunate enough to be married to and each and every one of his children and grandchildren and great grandchildren and their spouses.
He is survived by his wife, Yvonne; mother, Leila Hansen; brothers, James (Verae) Hansen, Richard (Dick) Stens, and Lindsay Stens; sisters, Carol Ann (Ken) Sterzer, Bonnie (Clive) Romney and Marianne Snyder; son, Robert (Diane) Ralph Hansen; daughters, Raeann (LaMar) Peterson, Ronalyn (Ralph) Fallentine, Rosemari (Brian) Ridgeway and Robyn Maughan; 21 grandchildren; 27 Great-grandchildren with more on the way.
Ralph was preceded in death by his father, Harold Hansen; mother, Mable Stens; wife, Ruth Taylor Hansen; son, Ronald Hansen; brothers, Ray Carl and Robert Stens; sister, Kate Brown.
Funeral services will be held Saturday Aug. 27, 2016 at 11:00 am at Westland 7th Ward, 7115 S 3200 W in West Jordan, Utah. Viewings will be held Friday Aug. 26, 2016 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Mountain View Memorial 3115 E 7800 S (Bengal Blvd) in Cottonwood Heights, Utah and again prior to the funeral services from 9:30 am to 10:45 am at the church. Interment will be at Mountain View.
Service Information
Viewing August 26, 2016 at 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Memorial Mountain View Mortuary, 3115 East 7800 South, Cottonwood Heights, UT





Viewing August 27, 2016 at 9:30 - 10:45 AM
Westland 7th Ward, 7115 South 3200 West, West Jordan, UT





Funeral Service
August 27, 2016 at 11:00 AM
Westland 7th Ward, 7115 South 3200 West, West Jordan, UT