William A. Hansen, Wisconsin organbuilder, died October 9, 2005, at the age of 68. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, he began working with an organbuilder in Seattle at age 16, and later worked in San Francisco. He installed organs across the country and lived in several midwestern cities before settling in the Milwaukee area. Hansen helped maintain many instruments in Milwaukee and throughout Wisconsin, including the Aeolian-Skinner organ at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts and theatre organs at the Pabst Theatre, the Riverside Theatre, and the old Avalon Theatre in Milwaukee. He led the restoration of the Barton organ at the Madison Civic Center, and restored the E. M. Skinner organ at Milwaukee Area Technical College.
Steven Williams, of Seattle, Washington, died February 24 at the age of 46. Born November 14, 1959, he began the study of organ at the Presbyterian church in his hometown of Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, and went on to study music at Syracuse University. He earned a master’s degree from Boston University and did a semester of study in Switzerland. Williams served as organist and director of music at Plymouth Congregational Church in Seattle from 1991 to 2003, and was exhibits chair for the 2000 AGO convention in Seattle. A memorial service was held at St. Mark’s Cathedral, Seattle, on March 25. Organists for the service included Joseph Adam, Clint Kraus, Tamara Still, Douglas Cleveland, and J. Melvin Butler.
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