BREWER – The man who sold power tools from his family’s hardware store in Bangor and operated the water-powered sawmill for Living History Days at Leonard’s Mills in Bradley has died.

Fred C. Hanson died Saturday at age 89.

He went into the family hardware business at the end of World War II after earning his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Maine and working in the defense industry.

His father, Walter Hanson, and Hayward Dunham opened their hardware business in 1914 on Broad Street in downtown Bangor. The store was primarily a wholesale operation, selling to hardware stores in northern, eastern and central Maine.

In January 1964, Walter Hanson retired from the wholesale end of the business, but continued a retail operation with his son, Fred Hanson, under the name Bangor Hardware Co.

That same year, Fred Hanson and his late wife, Hester, brought their children, Dick, Tom, Helen and Carolyn, in to help run the store. Tom and Dick went on to graduate from the University of Maine, then returned to the store to work with Carolyn. In 1979, Tom and Dick bought out their grandfather’s portion of the business and worked with their father. Carolyn remained an employee.

After 92 years in business, Bangor Hardware was sold in December 2006 to Aubuchon Hardware of Westminster, Mass.

Fred Hanson is survived by his four children, Carolyn Thompson and her husband, Ray, of Brewer; Richard Hanson and his wife, Brenda, of Orrington; Helen Schacht and friend Robert Hills of Greenville; and Thomas Hanson and his wife, Anne, of Orrington; nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

He was predeceased by his wife of 64 years, Hester; his brother, Robert H. Hanson of Hampden; and his sister, Marion H. LeBlanc of Bangor.

Visiting hours will be 6-8 p.m. today at Kiley & Foley Funeral Service, 69 State St., Brewer.

A celebration of Fred Hanson’s life will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at All Souls Congregational Church, 10 Broadway, Bangor. Burial will be at Mount Hope Cemetery in Bangor.

jharrison@bangordailynews.net

990-8207