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Marie Hansen Torrens. After a long and happy life filled with exciting opportunities and adventures and a year living graciously and courageously with cancer, civic leader and Albuquerque resident, Marie Torrens has completed her life on earth. Marie died peacefully the early morning of New Year's Day 2010--two weeks shy of her 92nd birthday. Marie was a dedicated and loving wife and mother; an exceptionally accomplished gardener; a skilled fund-raiser; an avid fisherwoman and bridge player; a generous hostess; a mentor and role-model to many; and a loyal and wonderful friend. The fourth child of Christiane and Jens Hansen, Marie Jane Hansen was born January 15, 1918. She was schooled and reared in the tiny farming community of Payne, Minnesota. While young, she developed a love of gardening from her mother and a respect of nature while fishing, hunting and caring for her many animals. In 1938, she received her nursing degree from St. Luke's Hospital in Duluth, Minnesota and then completed her psychiatric nurses training at Moose Lake Psychiatric Hospital. For three years during WWII, she taught cadet nurses at Baptist State Hospital, Little Rock, Arkansas before enlisting in the US Army and being assigned to the first station hospital in the occupation of Japan. Before leaving for overseas duty, she met psychiatrist John K. Torrens, MD, and they were married two years later on July 21, 1947 after Marie returned from duty in Japan. The couple moved to Galveston for John's residency at the University of Texas Medical School. From there, they spent four years in Chicago before permanently establishing their home in Albuquerque in 1954 where they became active community leaders while raising a daughter and son. Without Marie Torrens, the Albuquerque Garden Center would never have been envisioned or built. She raised the funds for the Center, worked with the City of Albuquerque to secure the land on which it was built in 1975, and then in 1997 raised the additional money when an expansion of the Garden Center was needed. Marie developed many of the still existing programs and fund-raising events for the Garden Center including co-sponsoring--with the Bernalillo County Extension Service and extension agent Jim Sais--the successful Albuquerque Master Gardener Program, which as trained hundreds of Master Gardeners since 1981. New Mexico State University named her a lifetime Master Gardner for her work with the program. An active member of three garden clubs--Hoe Handlers, La Manana, and Petal Pushers---she served as president of all three at different times over the years and was twice president of the Council of Albuquerque Garden Clubs. As a nationally accredited flower show judge, Marie traveled throughout New Mexico and to numerous cities in the United States lecturing and giving demonstrations on flower arranging and gardening. Her annual sale of hand crafted flower wreaths and dried arrangements attracted hundreds of clients. Also for many years, she was the KOAT-TV "Extension Beat" gardening expert filming programs from her huge garden on Amherst SE. She was honored by the New Mexico Garden Clubs in 1965 as Member of the Year, in 1974 as Flower Designer of the Year, and in 1981 as Horticulturist of the Year. In addition to her leadership in the gardening community, she was a past member of the Bernalillo County Medical Auxiliary, a Life Member of Four Hills Country Club and a member of Central Methodist Church. Marie loved her standard Schnauzers and won many titles showing them; more recently "Bella the Cat" was her constant companion. She was preceded in death by her parents; her brother Albert Hansen; three sisters Marian, Louise and June; her son, James (Jimmy) Torrens; and her husband of 60 years, John K. Torrens, MD. She is survived by her daughter, Julia (Julie) Torrens of Oneonta, NY; her twin brothers Bill and Ray Hansen; numerous nieces, nephews, colleagues, loving neighbors and friends including her dear friend of 35 years, Gale Doyel. Marie was grateful for the care she received from her Home Instead caregivers (Deborah, Ashley, Janis, Crisstal and Jerry) and her Compassus Hospice nurses (Chris, Tamera, Corinne and Nina). Cremation has taken place; a memorial service and reception will be held during the second week in January at Central Methodist Church, date and time to be announced. In lieu of flowers, should friends desire, gifts in Marie's memory may be sent to the Marie Torrens Memorial Fund, at the Albuquerque Garden Center, 10120 Lomas Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87112. French was in charge of cremation arrangements.
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