Charles H. Hansen, 77, of Big Rapids, passed away on Friday, Jan. 4, 2013. Charlie married Janet Lavere in 1956. They had three sons, Richard, Michael and Marc. He was preceded in death by his parents, Herbert and Olive (Lowery) Hansen; his wife Janet and son, Michael. He is survived by two sons, Richard of Traverse City, MI, and Marc of Greenville, MI; grandson, Sean Hansen; granddaughter, Kelley Hansen; his brother, Edward of Bellaire, MI and several nieces and nephews. A memorial service will take place 2:00 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013, at the Daggett-Gilbert Funeral Home in Big Rapids with Pastor Ed Milam officiating. The family will greet friends at the funeral home on Friday, January 11th from 6 - 8 p.m. Charlie, as his friends called him, grew up on his family dairy farm near Rodney, Michigan. In addition to the dairy operation, they also raised turkeys and other cash crops for market. Charlie loved to ride his horses, Thunder and Diamond. He attended the Colfax Township one room elementary school house near the property, and later went on to the Big Rapids High School. After graduation, he worked briefly at Kelvinator Refrigeration in Greenville. He then found his calling at The Big Rapids Pioneer where he worked for over 40 years. He began as an assistant pressman in 1954 and left as the Pioneer's production manager in 1995. Charlie loved to cook on the grill for family and friends. While living on the Muskegon River he built his own "barrel barge" and cruised up and down the river before later moving to a house just north of the Big Rapids Airport. He was a member of the Eagles, and will be greatly missed by family and friends. The family requests memorial contributions be given to the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center, 1000 Oakbrook, Suite 100, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, in lieu of flowers.