Just received word of Donny’s passing; I meet Donny almost 20 years ago while at a Meixel Farms shop party which they held each year for customers and friends. From the get go Donny started calling me Too Tall because I reminded him of To Tall Tom Szymanski, the well know weather man from Fargo, and from then on I could not go to MN without someone calling out To Tall when they saw me.
Donald and the rest of the Hansen Family have always gone out of their way to chat with me whenever I was in MN over the years, Donny loved telling me about his basketball skills in high school, looking at him you wouldn’t think it but because of the passion he had when he talked of his playing days you’d never doubt him, but unlike what most people would do he never spoke of being a 1,000 point scorer, I never knew that until I read his obituary.
I remember when Chuck Meixel was down for NASCAR weekend which was the same weekend as the American Royal BBQ and I arranged for a bus to pick up the Hansen gang from Motor Coach Row at the track and bring them down to the MO Warthogs BBQ party that Friday evening. The next day Chuck and I went to see Donald and his family at the track. Now imagine the sight as we approached Motor coach Row and here sandwiched in between the million dollar motor coaches was the Winnebago from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, and yes it was Donald and the Hansen’s and friends! Donald didn’t care what the other coaches owners thought he and his gang were just enjoying life and having fun, like Don always said, “What’s more fun than people? More People!” Don had a big heart and I’m sure it was full in the end!
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