Former Naples Daily News editor Tom Hanson dies at age 53

Tom Hanson had a passion for sports, news, music and poker.   

Hanson, a former editor for the Naples Daily News, died Tuesday at his home in Sebring. He was 53.

In 2003, Hanson became a sports columnist at the Naples Daily News. He was promoted to news/web editor in 2008. He went back to his first love in 2013 when he was named managing sports editor. He left the newspaper a year later.

“When he was in grammar school he had to keep a journal and one thing that he wrote in his journal was that when he grew up he wanted to be just like the odd fellow, Oscar Madison (the sportswriter played by Jack Klugman in "The Odd Couple),” his mother, Judy Hanson said. “He wanted to write sports and that’s all he talked about was journalism.”

Hanson battled muscular dystrophy, which caused him a lot of pain, and he beat colon cancer three years ago, according to his family.

“It’s a sad day for the Naples Daily News community,” said Penny Fisher, News Director at the Naples Daily News. “Tom was a news hound who never lost his passion for a good story.”

Fisher said Hanson would frequently call the reporters at the Naples Daily News with news tips.

“I’m sure I’m not the only one who will miss getting those gentle nudges from him,” Fisher said.

Hanson caddied with the PGA Tour for three years and 20 years for the LPGA.

“He loved sports. He loved March Madness. He loved baseball season,” Hanson’s sister, Becca Carpenter said.

Hanson won a number of awards during his years of journalism work including an award in 2014 for the Top 10 Associated Press Sports Editors 25-day series featuring the area’s greatest football players and where they are now, the Top 10 APSE special section for the Dunk City 98-page special section and 3rd Place APSE feature writing award in 2013 for an feature on NFL star and Immokalee High School graduate Edgerrin James.

“He learned math by doing batting averages for the Cubs and the White Sox,” said Judy Hanson.

Hanson was born in Chicago and lived his entire life as a die-hard Cubs fan.

“He’s not a bandwagon fan, Carpenter said.” “It runs through his veins.”

When he wasn’t covering sports stories or breaking news, you could most likely find him at the poker table.

Robbie Spencer, longtime friend and fellow poker enthusiast, said he met Hanson while he was working as a poker dealer at the Naples/Fort Myers Greyhound Track.

“First time I met him I actually kicked his a-- out for getting loud at the table,” he said.

Hanson would later become Spencer’s journalism instructor at Florida Gulf Coast University.

“I’ll never forget Tom's influence on my life. He helped me get my first job, helped me start my first business, and always believed in my abilities,” Spencer said.

Hanson’s sister Becca said Tom loved his time at FGCU and talked about going back to teach.

He taught a variety of journalism courses at FGCU from 2010 to 2013.

Although Hanson did not have any children of his own he was known to be a caring uncle to his sibilings' children, who knew him as Uncle Bubba.

“The biggest thing for me was that he has always been there for my kids,” Carpenter, said.

In 2015 Hanson moved to Sebring to live with and take care of his mother.

Hanson is survived by his father and mother, Tom Hanson Sr. and Judy Hanson; brother Bob Hanson; and three sisters, Liz Jankowski, Becca Carpenter and Amanda Mercer.

A memorial service and celebration of life will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 24, at the Stephenson-Nelson Funeral Home, 4001 Sebring Parkway, Sebring. 

In lieu of flowers, Hanson's family asks that donations be made to: Muscular Dystrophy Association of Sebring Elks Lodge #1529