Cynthia Sessions Hansen

Cynthia Sessions Hansen, age 71, of Lake Waccamaw, died unexpectedly on March 11, 2026. Born on June 29, 1954, in the Hallsboro community to Robert Eugene Sessions and Hattie Merle Hardee Sessions, she was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Hearst Eugene Sessions, and her sister June Sessions Harper.

Cynthia graduated from East Carolina University with a bachelor’s degree in education and devoted more than thirty years to teaching, first beginning her career after college and later returning to Whiteville to raise her children while teaching at Whiteville Primary. She touched hundreds of young lives, always placing her students’ growth and well-being above her own. In a second career as a personal trainer, she continued that same calling, guiding and encouraging hundreds of clients with the same generous spirit and genuine care. She never met a stranger—only friends for life—and former students and clients stayed in touch for decades, often seeking her wisdom long after their formal time with her had ended.

An avid gardener and caretaker of beautiful spaces, Cynthia could often be found tending her yard and garden at Lake Waccamaw or volunteering her time on the grounds of the Rube McCray Memorial Library, where she also served as a dedicated member of the Board of Directors. She was a longtime member of Peace United Methodist Church.

Above all, Cynthia was deeply devoted to her family. She is survived by her husband, Richard Joseph “Joe” Hansen; her daughter, Caroline Brickhouse Attmore (Bill) of Raleigh; her son, John Sessions Brickhouse (Paige) of Charleston, South Carolina; her brother, Robert Sessions of Raleigh; and her cherished grandchildren, Hattie Attmore, Hackney Attmore, Owen Brickhouse, and Austin Brickhouse.