David Parker Hanson

David Parker Hanson, 84, of Pittsburgh, PA died peacefully on Sunday May 19th, 2024. David was born in Rhinebeck, New York on November 9th, 1939 to Earl Parker Hanson and Charlotte Leeper. He traveled frequently during his youth, living in locations as diverse as New York, Delaware, Puerto Rico, and Liberia. After graduating from Haverford College with a BS in Political Science, David served as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy from 1961-1964. Following his naval career, David received his PhD in Political Science from the University of Florida and his J.D. from the University of Michigan.

In his younger years, David worked as a Professor of Political Science at Western Michigan University. After passing the bar exam, he became a lawyer for the Wall Street firm, Birmingham, Underwood and Lord, and then for the U.S. Maritime Administration in Washington DC. David eventually realized he had a soul and quit his career as a lawyer. He went back to teaching, this time as a professor of International Business at Duquesne University, where he worked for over 40 years. David’s legacy to his children and grandchildren included a love of the outdoors. David was particularly fond of nature, camping, canoeing, hiking, and sailing, and passed on his thirst for adventure and exploration to his friends and family. 

A lifelong world traveler, David was fortunate enough to spend time in Ecuador, Egypt, Japan, Estonia, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Italy, Austria, and other unique destinations around the world. Those who knew him were often fortunate to hear him share stories of his travel experiences, whether they were for research, work, or leisure. 

David was both a writer and an insatiable reader whose enjoyment of books continued until his last breath. He was endlessly curious and could listen and talk to anyone about anything for hours. David was notorious for his dad jokes, wild family stories (mostly true) and love of deep discussions about esoteric topics. Most people who knew him struggled to keep up intellectually, but that was part of the fun of being around him. 

David is predeceased by his wife, Laurel Hanson, to whom he was married for over thirty years, his brother, John Hanson and his sister, Nancy Hanson. David is survived by his 4 children, James Hanson (Sandy), Carol Hanson (John Storer), Stephen Hanson, and Daniel Hanson, as well as his 6 grandchildren, Theodore Hanson, Grace Hanson, Cruz Hanson, Zoe Naylor, Jade Hanson and Gabriel Naylor. David had a devoted extended family that included his brothers-in-law, Martin McGough and Michael McGough, and his sister-in-law, Kiki McGough.

Friends will be received at John A. Freyvogel Sons, Inc. (freyvogelfuneralhome.com) 4900 Centre Avenue at Devonshire Street on Saturday, June 22nd, 2024, from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of David Parker Hanson, please visit our floral store.