Kent E. Hansen

Kent E. Hansen, age 78, of Lake Shawnee (Jefferson Township), passed away on July 26, 2025, at Morristown Medical Center, surrounded by his wife, children, and sister.

Kent was born on April 8, 1947, in Jersey City, NJ, to Gloria and Edward Hansen, and was raised with his sister, Meryll, in Hasbrouck Heights, NJ. He graduated from Rutgers College with a degree in Economics and Art History, and later earned his Juris Doctor from St. John’s University. 

Kent was admired for his wisdom, insightfulness, honesty, kindness, dry sense of humor, and punctuality in nearly every aspect of his life, all of which were backed by a lifetime of community service. He served as the President of the Lake Shawnee Club for 15 years and organized and taught young adults about his passion for sailing through the Junior Sailors’ Club. In earlier years, he was deeply involved in the Hurdtown Methodist Church, where he taught Sunday School, led the youth group program, and served on the Parish Economic Council. He also dedicated many years to the Jefferson Township Board of Education and other township advisory boards. Recently, Kent served as the President of the Jefferson Township Child Care and Education Center. He truly made a positive impact on everyone who knew him, although he was too humble to realize it.

Kent’s faith in the Constitution was rooted in the belief that it could serve as a force for justice, equity, and progress. He championed democratic values throughout his life, always standing up for the rights of the marginalized and the promise of a better future for all of us. He served as General Counsel of Fedders Corporation for many years. After his tenure, Kent initially volunteered countless hours at Pro Bono Partnership in Parsippany, NJ, before becoming a Senior Staff Attorney. Kent truly loved the mission of Pro Bono Partnership, providing free legal support to numerous wonderful nonprofit organizations with the goal of helping them carry out their mission to make the world a better place. 

In the little time he saved for himself, Kent’s main passions were writing and recording music, being Norwegian, and drinking a glass of wine on the rowboat with his dog and his wife. 

Kent is survived by his wife, Mary Elizabeth Judge; his son, Joshua, and daughter-in-law, Hanako Yamanaka, of Quincy, MA; his daughter, Valle, her partner, Vincent Hagedorn, and their son, Arlo, of Austin, TX. Also surviving are his stepdaughter, Kelly Galinkin, and her daughter, Jessica; his stepsons, Andrew and Daniel Curran; his sister, Meryll; and his beloved dog, Daisy Jane. Kent was predeceased by his parents. 

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, August 2nd, from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the Bermingham Funeral Home in Wharton, NJ. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the following organizations in Kent’s name:

Pro Bono Partnership

Planned Parenthood

NPR (National Public Radio)

PBS (Public Broadcasting Service)

Lastly, the family is profoundly grateful to the staff of the Cardiac Care Unit at Morristown Medical Center for their exceptional compassion and treatment during Kent’s hospitalization and end-of-life care. 

Kent will be dearly missed and forever remembered.

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