Fred Hanson, of Braintree, longtime Patriot Ledger reporter, remembered as 'one of a kind'

BRAINTREE – To his colleagues at The Patriot Ledger, Fred Hanson was a font of knowledge, a wealth of entertaining facts and a kind soul who relished telling a story and took community journalism to heart.

At 6 feet, 7 inches, he was accustomed to standing out and people brightened up when the veteran reporter came into the newsroom. After putting his sodas in the refrigerator, he would slowly make his way to his desk, which was piled head-high with papers, and the fun would begin.

To his family – his mother Ann, or "Nancy," age 94, his 12 brothers and sisters, many nieces, nephews and godchildren – he was a source of steady support and entertainment.

Frederick W. Hanson was the second of 13 children. When his father, Frederick W. Hanson Jr., a Dorchester dentist, died unexpectedly at age 45 in 1973, Fred was just 16.

He soon stepped into the role of oldest son and brother and the transformation helped shape his life. He took on a very paternal role, his sisters said. Regina Hanson, of Belmont; Julie Hanson, of Shrewsbury; Patty Hanson, of Hanover; Katherine Hanson, of Braintree; and Betsy Hanson, of Quincy, were interviewed for this story.

To South Shore town officials and residents whose news events he covered, Fred was a gentlemanly mix of carefully objective reporter and community booster, lending a hand quietly behind the scenes. Over nearly 43 years at The Patriot Ledger he covered Randolph, Milton, and most recently focused on Braintree, where he had lived since he was a year old. He was known as fair, accurate and compassionate.

"He was one of a kind," said Ken Johnson of Easton, one of his former editors, posting a heart-felt tribute to him on The Patriot Ledger alumni group's Facebook page.

The night of Monday, April 8, will likely be long ingrained in many memories. There was an important meeting of the Braintree school committee scheduled, dealing with a large budget deficit, and Fred arrived to cover it. He collapsed outside and was rushed to South Shore Hospital in Weymouth, where he died. He was 67.

Braintree Mayor Erin Joyce announced Thursday that the town is providing a space for two weeks for people to write down their thoughts about Fred, which she will then share with his grieving family.

"A book has been placed in the lobby of Town Hall and all are welcome to drop by and share a memory in the pages of the book. We will deliver the book to Fred’s family on April 26," she said.

An early start in Braintree

Born in Boston, where his father was a dentist in Dorchester Lower Mills, Fred moved to Braintree when he was a year old, attended early elementary school in Boston and then parochial schools in Weymouth and Braintree. He graduated from Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood in 1974 and from University of Massachusetts in Boston in 1978.

His broad interests were already clear; he was a big reader and "read all the big old tomes," his sisters said, mentioning the Civil War, Russian literature and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, other history and local novelist Dennis Lehane.

He was tall for his age, even early on.

"That's why no one argued with him," his sisters kidded.

He was a hard worker who took Boy Scout assignments seriously, often selling more than the other Scouts in different campaigns.

As a teenager, he was on the race committee at the South Boston Yacht Club where his 6-foot, 5-inch father, a Navy veteran, was commodore.

He joined The Patriot Ledger in 1982 and eventually became the longstanding president of the Patriot Ledger Newsroom Association.

"He loved working at The Ledger," his sisters said. He especially enjoyed mentoring the younger reporters; The Patriot Ledger was known as a training paper and Fred took the role seriously. He followed the Lou Grant series and any other TV show that had anything to do with journalism.

Watergate spurred early passion for journalism

Fred was 15 when the Watergate scandal broke in Washington, D.C. He paid close attention to the news coverage and wrote for his high school newspaper. The 1976 thriller documentary film "All the President's Men" laid the ground for his lasting love of journalism; he also was a page at the State House.

Sports also become an important part of his life. He played kickball against his whole neighborhood on the family's front lawn, with Fred solo on one team, everyone else on the other, and Fred would win. When he was 10, his father took him to see the 1967 World Series; they had box seats behind home plate.

His most prized possession was a birthday card sent to him by Canadian hockey player Wayne Gretzky in 1980 after a sportswriter told Gretzky the two shared a birthday, Jan. 26. Gretzky was four years younger.

In the 1980s and 1990s, he traveled around the country to see baseball games in all the old stadiums. He enjoyed all kinds of music – Jimmy Buffett, Otis Redding, soul and rhythm and blues.

In the 1990s, he took up running and would go out jogging at 2 a.m., becoming a familiar, affable sight to Braintree police.

For the past week, there has been great sadness amongst his coworkers – past and present – at The Patriot Ledger, many town officials – especially in Braintree – and South Shore residents, whose thoughts are with the family Fred loved so much.

One of Fred's favorite stories: Reports of my death weren't greatly exaggerated

The shock of having someone who so enjoyed his work and his role in the community struck down is hard to overcome. Telling stories about his life, his sense of humor and his kind nature seems to help.

His 94-year-old mother shared her own message of comfort for others:

"To Fred, working at the newspaper was the thing he was supposed to do in life and always knew he would. Fred met many interesting people and made many great friends along the way.

"He was the ultimate conversationalist. As a son, he was a great comfort to me and I'll miss hearing all the latest news from town."

Many people have also found some solace in the oft-repeated observation: "At least he died doing what he loved."

Visiting hours will be held at the Sweeney Brothers Home for Funerals, 1 Independence Ave., Quincy, on Friday, April 12, from 4 to 7 p.m. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at Saint Francis of Assisi Church, 856 Washington Street, Braintree on Saturday, April 13, at 10 a.m.

Ken Johnson, former Ledger news editor: 'He was someone you were always glad to see'

"He was a connoisseur of Canada, especially the Blue Jays, Rocky and Bullwinkle, important books, classic movies, old TV, Jimmy Buffett and other great musicians, offbeat Boston history and humor and much else. But all of that took a back seat to the love he had for his big family.

"Fred was the ultimate night owl, in a business that no longer believes in them. If his work habits at times challenged his editors, he came through in the end. No one ever doubted his intentions or his heart. He kept his cool in the most demanding situations.

"He wasn’t a quiet person, generally, but what I remember most about him are the thoughtful things he did for people quietly. His father died at 45, and Fred went out of his way to help other kids going through their own tragedies. When one of our editors died of cancer at a young age, he was there for her kids.

"Fred came to The Ledger from radio station WATD in Marshfield, his first reporting job out of UMass-Boston, and he loved telling stories about that experience. I worked with him from 1981, when he joined our staff, until I retired in 2019. He was someone you were always glad to see.

"The people in the towns Fred covered over the years counted on him for straight, honest reporting. In January, he took sad pride in being the last reporter to file a story from the newsroom before it closed. It was the third office he had inhabited for The Ledger."

Chris Burrell, Ledger general assignment reporter, now with WGBH: 'He made the place immeasurably fun to work in'

"Fred loved his comrades in the newsroom and came alive during nightly banter sessions coaxing us into discussions of movies, books and Ledgerland lore. He'd loan you his car if yours broke down, and you would enjoy his cassettes of amazing soul and R&B music.

"Only because of Fred, did I attempt to cross country ski from East Boston to Quincy. And buy a stack of Santarpios pizza to share in the newsroom.

"He made the place immeasurably fun to work in with his brand of sarcasm and wit and an admirable ability to be just who he was and nothing else."

Former Braintree Mayor Joe Sullivan: 'You could walk away from a conversation with Fred and feel educated'

"Fred had an adventurous mind. He shared a breadth of knowledge in terms of his reporting. He usually had 2 or 3 books lined up that he was reading, biographies or early American history, politics or war.

"He was fair, honest, and objective in his reporting. He was not looking for a headline. He was looking to report the story in an accurate way, and he had the ability to write as an impartial observer. That assisted in the narrative of all of us. Fred always gave you a fair shake.

"As many have remarked, he also was affable. He had a good laugh, but you could walk away from a conversation with Fred and feel educated. He felt it was important to get the story right and contribute to the discourse."

Braintree Mayor Erin Joyce: 'He was a constant, steady presence'

“As a true reporter, Fred always had the scoop and he knew so much of our town’s deep history, providing important context to his many readers. He was a constant, steady presence. I'll miss bumping into Fred around town; he was often eager to share a quick-witted joke or an interesting story.

"He was a very familiar face at our town events, and he covered stories both big and small, ranging from Braintree Day festivities to planning board meetings."

Ann Toland, co-director of the Marge Crispin Center in Braintree: 'It was a blessing to know him'

"I was so devastated. Fred was such a caring man and he was very quietly involved in looking after the Marge Crispin Center. He would stop by and check if we needed anything, in such a personal way, and if we needed any exposure.

"Fred's whole family was very generous to us. As you got to know Fred, you saw that he was different, that he knew the history of the whole area. He always researched everything. It was a blessing to know him."

Former mayor Charles Kokoros: 'He was a real gentleman'

"Fred was such a humble, honest man. His reporting was always very fair and he was so knowledgeable about the town of Braintree, and so well-read in history.

"The main thing about Fred was his love for his mother and his family. He was a real gentleman. He had to report some very sad stories in Braintree and he always reported factually with respect and compassion."

Paulie Veneto of Braintree 9/11 charity fundraiser Paulie's Push: 'He didn't just write a story and move on'

"In the very early days of the Push, one of the first reporters to take an interest in this story was Fred Hanson. It quickly became clear that Fred wasn't just on assignment he was genuinely interested in this story. That became clearer over the years, as he didn't just write a story and move on. He followed up often, writing multiple stories about each Push."

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Fred Hanson, Patriot Ledger reporter, dies at age 67