Hanna Madsen Obituary (1947 - 2012)

On May 22, 2012 Hanna Madsen passed away while sleeping at her home in Murray, Utah. She had struggled for several years with various health problems. Born January 24, 1947 to Margaret and Gordon Rideout of Draper, Utah, Hanna’s life proved that with perseverance and force of will many challenges can be overcome. In her youth Hanna was struck with polio and had her spine fused as a result. She was told she would be prevented from doing everything from skiing to having children. After spending much of her teens and twenties on the slopes she did give up her skis. But she did not sacrifice her desire to have children. In 1967 Hanna married Tone Madsen (they divorced in 1997) and she gave birth to two children – Jeremy and Toni Ann. A graduate of Skyline High School, Hanna attended the University of Utah but left before earning her degree. After a brief time in the workforce she committed herself to her family full-time. More than a dozen years later she wished to return to work but job options were slim. She eventually took a position as a receptionist in a bank. Over the next two decades Hanna took on increasing levels of responsibility at Citibank and American Express. Hanna took great pride in ultimately having an office at American Express in New York City with her name on the door. Hanna was also active in politics. She was Vice-Chair of the Salt Lake County Democratic Party in the 1980s and was twice a Democratic nominee for the Utah State House of Representatives. Hanna is survived by her children, her mother, seven grand-children, her brothers Doug and Phil and numerous cousins including Mary who was like a sister to her. A celebration of Hanna’s life will be held on Saturday June 16, 2012 from 4 to 6 PM at the Waterbury Club House – 1550 Waterbury Way in Murray, Utah. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Hanna’s name to the Humane Society of Utah and Emily’s list, an organization dedicated to helping elect Democratic women to office.