Hanson Goe was born by the seaside in 1923 in Swatou, a rural fishing village. He had two older sisters, an older brother, two younger sisters, and two younger brothers. He moved with his family as a young child to Teochew, where he grew up. He graduated from school in 1941, amidst WWII, and subsequently taught English at a high school.
In 1949, Hanson and his elder brother Hing-Kit moved to Hong Kong to pursue economic opportunities. He did work as a translator for a company, before transitioning to other business endeavours. He met his wife, Vivian Wong, at church in Hong Kong. They married on December 24, 1956. Together they had three children: Steven, born in 1958, Roger, born in 1959, and Karen born in 1963. Hanson often reflected on how supportive, selfless, and gracious Vivian was throughout their life together. She always believed in his ability to succeed and cared for the children while Hanson worked for long hours. While she would feed and put the children to bed early, she would stay up and wait to eat dinner with Hanson when he returned from work late at night.
Armed with a strong faith in God and his wife’s unwavering support, Hanson eventually decided to found his own company in 1961 with his brother Hing-Kit. His business was in the production of kitchen utensils and home décor. They decided to change industries in 1971 and began working in the garment and fashion industry. In his career in business, Hanson worked hard and honestly. He never took shortcuts, exploited, or undercut others. He built strong relationships in his work, was generous, and trusted God in the decisions he made.
Hanson eventually retired and immigrated to Toronto, Canada with his wife and family in 1991. He and Vivian enjoyed many loving years together in Canada before Vivian passed away on January 26, 2006. Hanson was a loving grandfather to his four grandchildren: Jessie, Christopher, Isaac, and Andrea. He was highly involved in the education of all his grandchildren and shared his Chinese cultural heritage with them. He enjoyed going to Dim Sum weekly with friends and family and was committed to special weekly lunches and dinners with his family members. In particular, he always made sure that the entire family gathered to celebrate his wedding anniversary on Christmas Eve each year. Hanson also enjoyed travelling to Asia and Europe with his family members, into his 90s. He was also an engaged member of his church and participated in the Senior Fellowship at North York Chinese Baptist Church.
Hanson created the philanthropic Hanson and Vivian Goe Foundation in 2016 to support Christian causes and community works close to his heart. Hanson passed away peacefully on the morning of December 20, 2024, in his home at the age of 101.
