HIS LIFE
Greeting
About Tim Hansel
His Family
His Memorial Service
His Life in Pictures
Greetings from Anastia Hansel
“All the days ordained for Tim” (Psalm 139:16)
The theme of unpredictability, as many of you know, has seemed to define
our days for the past 17 years. Our lives have felt like a living paradox as we have tried to find meaning within life’s contradictions. As we have been immersed in the cathedral of human suffering, we have often wondered, “Is this the beginning of the end?” or “Is this the beginning of new beginnings?”
As Tim and I have danced along the frayed edges of eternity more than once, I have known that Tim was not afraid of his final earthly “Good-bye”. The week before he died, I asked him, “Tim, are you at peace?” He answered, “Yes, I am at peace”. He had shared with me a couple of days before, “I just had the greatest dream. I dreamt that I was walking again!” Tim stepped into eternity at 11:52 p.m. on December 13th. I have a sense that his walking has turned into a joy-filled dance!
I will hopefully, with your help, be able to continue to carry Tim’s legacy into the future. We are soul mates who have both given our lives to “motivate, encourage and empower people” through IGNITE’s on-going ministry.
If you're going to be blue, be bright blue!
Tim’s growing up years took on facets that would become a part of the choreographic path God appointed for Tim’s life walk and work. The people during his elementary and high school years left an influence that would strengthen the bonds with those who were to come later. At Garfield High School in the ‘50s, Tim was the only Caucasian in an all-black fraternity; he was also the only Caucasian in an all-Chinese basketball team. Tim was raised knowing that there is only one race and that is the human race. His natural athletic ability led him to achieve All-City and All-State honors in football and secured for him an athletic scholarship to Stanford University.
Somehow, as Tim tells the story, he arrived at Stanford having read only one book! The Stanford professors were in for a challenge with this maverick but in Hansel style, he won over all those whom he met. He was there and God had a plan beyond the academic and athletic foundations that were being instilled. Tim completed his BA in Education and with a few side trips past that degree, including cycling around Europe, he returned to Stanford where he earned a 4.0 grade average and was handed an M.A. in Education. Among his accomplishments while at Stanford was participating in the Super Bowl of Rugby Tournaments against the New Zealand All-Blacks. Tim went on to coach soccer at Menlo Atherton High School in Menlo Park, California and then returned to coach the freshman football team at Stanford under Bill Walsh.
Steps in Tim’s life were being danced out when he was offered a coaching position on the Stanford football team but turned it down to work with street kids in the projects of New York under the umbrella of Young Life. The sense of a life’s calling was emerging. Tim honored the basics of a formal classroom education but interacting with his world and others outside the classroom walls led him to a deeper sense of the need to create a non-neutral learning environment where teaching interfaced with real life. A 25,000 mile sailing trip with his Stanford buddies after graduate school and the challenges encountered on that sail planted seeds that were later to bloom. Tim’s passion to be “ALIVE in Christ” led him to found and develop Summit Expedition in the late ‘60s in La Jolla, California. In l974, Tim came to Azusa Pacific University as their football coach which also enabled him to relocate the Summit Expedition office to San Dimas and to work out of Bass Lake in the summertime.
Psalm 23:1, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want” became a life long study for him. Like an earthly “shepherd”, he saw Summit as a place where those from many walks of life – youth-at-risk, adults, families, people with disabilities, schools, churches, ministries, ambassadors from the United Nations, as well as other professional development groups – could convene. On Summit courses, they would be challenged in a wilderness setting. Summit and its staff designed its’ programs with a Christian world view so that participants found deeper confidence in Him and within themselves. They would grow as spiritual and physical challenges were met. Participants left with a deeper sense of purpose. Thus grounded, they returned to their own spheres of influence carrying with them what they had learned with an intent to “go and do likewise”. Because of the same foundational platform, Tim and Bud Potter (co-founder of Go and Do Likewise) have become life-long friends.
In 1974, Tim’s life took two dramatic turns. First and foremost, he became the proud father of his first son, Zac. Two years later he was blessed with the birth of his second son, Josh. Tim loved being a dad and was featured numerous times on Focus on the Families’ Father’s day broadcasts where he talked about his book, What Kids Need Most in a Dad. The second dramatic turn of events would lead him into a deeper wilderness experience himself. Much like the Summit Expedition he founded, this new journey led Tim further and deeper into connection with God and ultimately with millions who would learn from the encouragement that Tim’s life lessons would bring to them.
Tim was on a scouting climb in the High Sierras with other accomplished mountaineers from Summit Expedition. David McPherson and Tim set out at sunrise for the day with the Palisades Glacier in full view. All the equipment that was needed for this climb, where different land surfaces would be encountered, was in their possession. The day was sunny, the climb had been amazing and the time for descent was upon them. They were at the last stage; base camp in view. There was only a snow bridge to cross which was just above a crevasse. The snow on the glacier had begun to warm up and Tim’s crampon had accumulated too much of it. He began to slip but not to worry as he had his ice axe to self arrest and stop the fall. Only before that could be completed, the weight of Tim’s body was over the crevasse and his climbing buddy watched Tim’s descent into the crevasse where he landed on his neck, compressing several vertebrae and subsequently became unconscious.
David was able to get to Tim. Tim regained consciousness, stayed at base camp that night, hiked out 20 miles the next day and drove home. It was the following morning when the most intense pain erupted. His doctors announced the injury was inoperable. Pain never left Tim’s body for the next 35 years – increasing in intensity and deterioration stages that led to a myriad of complications as the years progressed. What did not deteriorate was Tim’s passion to live a life where he chose joy no matter the pain, no matter the cost.
Tim continued to direct Summit Expedition until the 1990’s when it was turned over to Dave Kelley. The name was changed to Summit Adventure and continues today under the leadership of Tom Smith.
After the accident, Tim was asked to write his journey with chronic pain. Other books evolved – 12 in total – about life and the need to grasp its adventures and God’s strength to accomplish the path of His appointing in each of our lives. Tim took the Summit years and transferred that inspiration into words that millions have now read. The impact of his life and writings is something that only eternity will completely allow us to measure but we do know that millions of lives were touched for the good by Tim Hansel. Added to his writing accomplishments over the ensuing years were speaking engagements around the world which in turn impacted all those who were fortunate enough to attend them.
Tim’s faith was lived out and was contagious. Choose joy; never never never give up; the rule of the final inch; play to win not to lose; look to the One who designed you and LET Him carry you through any circumstance that life hands you as your journey continues; invite the power of the Holy Spirit . . . were all modeled throughout his life.
Tim’s signature book became You Gotta’ Keep Dancin’ and he taught us how. That book was first published in 1985. One always finds inspiring and uplifting messages within Tim’s books. Tim’s life may have changed with his accident, but he never missed a beat in what his life message was and continued to be – no boundary or limitation exists when God is in control and we allow Him to be. In suffering, we can still choose joy. In chaos, we can still find peace. Tim and Anastasia wrote the yet unpublished manuscript, Dancin’ on the Chaos! over the last ten years. Tim’s legacy is his life well lived. We, his friends, are the fortunate ones to have such a legacy to draw upon for our own life journeys.
Tim went the distance and reached his finish line; greeted with welcoming arms and a “well done, my faithful son” from his Creator. Tim lived out Philippians 3: 13-14, “Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do, forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus”.
And we who loved and admired you, Tim, are inspired to “go and do likewise”. Thank you.
By purchasing his books through GADL's Amazon aStore up to 10% will be donated to GADL - one of Tim's causes. Readers also anticipate the publication of Tim Hansel's final volume co-authored by his wife Anastasia Hansel written over the last 10 years of his life, Dancin' on the Chaos!
To make a contribution directly to IGNITE! in Tim's honor, click here.
Surviving Tim Hansel:
Memorial Service
RSVP
* Denotes required field
NE corner of Aviara Pkwy and Pointsettia Ln.
Two blocks of rooms have been reserved for guests attending the service at the following facilities. Please mention the "Tim Hansen Memorial" when booking your room.
The Hacienda Hotel (Best Western) * * *
Phone: 800-888-1991
Website: www.haciendahotel-oldtown.com
Padre Trails Inn * *
Phone: 800-255-9988
Website: www.padretrailinn.com
info@timhanselmemorial.com