Rose Marie Hanson Obituary
Rose Marie "Rosie" Hanson died on Monday, March 23, 2026, at Menomonee Falls Hospital after a brief illness. She was 86.
Rosie had a passion for life and cared deeply for her children, her husband, and her extended family. She was well known for her sunny disposition and possessed an intuitive sense of fashion, along with an eye for beautiful clothes and shoes. She was the consummate host, both at home and at work, happiest when presiding over cheerful gatherings with family and friends. Above all, Rosie was known for her vivacious personality and positive outlook on life, touching everyone she met with her genuine warmth.
Rosie was widely known around Madison during her long restaurant career, which ended only with the COVID shutdown at age 79. In the early 1970s, she helped manage Andrea's, one of the city's first French restaurants on the Capitol Square, and later co-owned a successful catering business for many years, featuring tapas-style fare for appreciative clients. She managed some of Madison's liveliest and most enduring institutions, including The Fess Hotel, Wild Iris Cafe, Crandall's at The Depot, and Fife's Corner Bistro.
She was born on December 27, 1939, in Sheboygan, Wisc. She graduated from Kohler High School in 1957. She worked in Sheboygan and was competing in the Miss Sheboygan pageant when she met Michael Hanson, who was covering the contest on assignment for a local radio station. She married Michael on September 26, 1960, and resided in Madison for nearly 65 years, with a brief interlude in Richmond, Ky. She was devoted to her husband, Michael, the love of her life, for 59 years. After Michael died in September 2019, she maintained her home-filled with flowers and art-on Madison's near west side.
Survivors include her son, Stephan (Nicole) of Lannon, and son Rolfe (Sabrina) of Hayward; her grandchildren, Tyler (Rachel), Trevor, Nel, and Coburn; her great-grandson, Charlie Fox; and former daughter-in-law, Jeanne Parenteau.
The family is sincerely grateful for the many individuals who helped care for Rosie as she navigated life away from home over the past seventeen months.
The family will provide details about a celebration of life at a later date. Donations may be made to WORT Community Radio, 118 South Bedford St., Madison, WI 53703.
