Ulla Hansen Gates of Greenwich, CT and Fort Lauderdale, FL passed away peacefully on May 25, 2021 at home with her daughters by her side.
Born and raised in the idyllic hamlet of Uddeholm in Värmland, Sweden on July 16, 1937, Ulla came to the US in her early twenties to visit relatives and ended up staying for life. She lived in Manhattan and worked in public relations at SAS. She met her first husband, Sven Hansen, through the fun-loving, tight-knit community of Swedish expats in New York. They had two daughters and later moved to Greenwich. Sven was an avid sailor, so summers were spent on their beautiful sailboat, Anitra, in Watch Hill, RI, and cruising with the New York Yacht Club. After the tragic death of Sven in 1986, Ulla later married Bob Gates, also a yachtsman. On their yacht Setag, based in Fort Lauderdale and as members of the New York Yacht Club and Fort Lauderdale Yacht Club, they traveled the East Coast from Maine to the Bahamas with friends and family.
Ulla was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and friend. She will be remembered for her kindness, joy, positive attitude, amazing cooking and ability to host a dinner party in a moment’s notice. She was deeply loved by her family and friends.
She is survived by her two daughters Tina Baker (husband Ed) and Karin Hansen, stepsons Bobby Gates (wife Jackie) and Harry, grandchildren Sophie Baker, Jeanelle and Brenden Gates and sisters Gunnel Palmgren and Agneta Rössel.
Donations may be made in Ulla’s memory to the Alzheimer’s Association or the American Cancer Society.
