Grant W. Hanson Jan. 6, 1921 - Nov. 25, 2011 Resident of Oakland The Reverend Doctor Grant W. Hanson, a native of Oakland, a renowned pastor and leader in Christian Education, passed away peacefully on Nov. 25, 2011 in Oakland. He was born to Arthur and Nina Hanson on Jan.6, 1921. He attended the Oakland Public Schools and graduated in 1939 from Oakland High School as class Co-Valedictorian. He earned a BA degree in History at UC Berkeley in 1943 and then a Masters of Divinity degree from the Berkeley Baptist Divinity School in 1945. In that same year, he was ordained as an American Baptist Minister. He followed this with further graduate study at Yale Divinity School for a couple of years and eventually received an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree in 1979. From 1946 to 1950, Grant served as pastor for the First Baptist Church in Red Bluff, CA and then moved back to Oakland to serve as Minister of Christian Education at the First Baptist Church for 7 years. He then became Director of Christian Educ. for the Northern California Baptist Convention. During the years of 1970 to 1982, Grant's concept of the "Teaching Church" came to fruition in his role of Executive Director of Church Education for American Baptist Churches, USA, at the ABC headquarters in Valley Forge, PA. Grant was preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, Fern Erickson Hanson. He is survived by his son, Stephen (Carlyne), his daughter, Carolyn (Douglas), 3 grandchildren, Sara, Andrew and Christopher, 3 great-grandchildren, Hailey, Skyler and Craig Jr., and his brother, Merrill (Barbara). Besides being missed dearly by his family, he will also be fondly remembered by his many friends and colleagues who were motivated by his leadership and supported by his presence. A Memorial Service will be held at the Lakeshore Ave. Baptist Church in Oakland at 2:00 PM on Saturday, January 21, 2012. Grant's suggested that gifts could be contributions to any of the following: Oakland First Baptist Church Foundation, 534 22nd Street, Oakland, CA 94612. Samaritan's Neighborhood Center, 534 22nd Street, Oakland, CA 94612. Permanent Endowment Fund of the American Baptist Seminary of the West, 2606 Dwight Way, Berkeley, CA 94704.