Milton Noersgaard Hansen, 80, of Waterloo, Iowa, died at home on Monday, June 3, 2013 of natural causes.

Milt was born January 22, 1933 in Cedar Falls, Iowa, the son of Hans Christian and Petrea Olesen Hansen.

He married Diana Lichty on June 25, 1955 at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Waterloo. Milt received his Bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University (BSME). He was employed by Zeidlers’s Inc. in Waterloo; Viking Pump in Cedar Falls and Gorman-Rupp in Mansfield, Ohio, retiring in 1998.

Milt’s parents were both born in Denmark and immigrated to Cedar Falls with its large Danish community where they met. Milt and his two sisters all had the same middle name which was the name of his mother’s family farm near the North Sea. His father was a carpenter and built the house where they were married and reared their children.

We heard MANY times about the winning basket he made on his birthday from half court in the junior high church league. His love of basketball continued to high school where he was the only unanimous all- conference player and was also named to the all- state team.

He and Diana met on a blind date introduced by mutual friends. After going to a movie they drove on old highway 218 with the top down in his ’47 Chevy convertible. They pulled over to the side of the road and danced to big band music on the radio. Milt must have been smitten because Diana has no rhythm.

His first job out of college was at Viking Pump where he designed a gear reducer that is still used today. Next he worked at Zeidler’s Inc. where he designed the first automated concrete pipe machine in the industry. He went back to Viking Pump where he designed a gear pump which was a new line. His final job was at Gorman-Rupp Company in Mansfield, Ohio, where he designed a new line of pumps and also received three U.S. patents. He traveled the world promoting his pump line accompanied by Diana. Some of the places they visited included Hong Kong, Bangkok, Australia, Canada, England, Mexico and many more.

In retirement, gardening, home projects, the stock market and family became his passion.

Milt never met a sweet (known as snackie-poos) that he didn’t like. If he said there wasn’t anything to eat in the house, he meant no candy. Once Mommy went for a walk and came home to teeth marks in the bitter baking chocolate and Milt’s comment was “What’s wrong with the chocolate?”

Milt’s middle name was not “moderation” when it came to work or fun. It was often said of Milt that he wasn’t the life of the party – he WAS the party. He had a fun spirit, always smiling, a good friend and always dedicated at anything he set his mind toward.

Milt is survived by his wife Diana of Waterloo; son David (Jayne) Hansen of Iowa City; daughter Lynn Morse of Des Moines; four grandchildren: Samuel and Abby Hansen and Parker and Truman Morse; and sister-in-law Linda (Robert) Anderson of Cedar Falls. Also survived by nephews and nieces: John (Alison) Skar of Wilbraham, Massachusetts; Patricia (Alexis FitzGerald) Skar of Beatenberg Switzerland; Paul (Nancy) Skar of Londonderry, New Hampshire; Merrill Crawford of Dubuque; and Ann Crawford of Cedar Falls.

Milt is preceded in death by his parents, sisters Mary Crawford and Margaret Skar, and infant brother Harvey Hansen.