Plumber from Denville can quit after 40 years, thanks to wife's lucrative Pick 6 Lotto purchase
Anytime Robert Hanson noticed that his wife, Karen, had purchased lottery tickets, he asked her the same question.
"Do I have to go to work tomorrow?" asked Robert, a plumber for more than 40 years.
Karen's answer was always "yes." But not anymore.
As of Nov. 3, Karen Hanson's lottery habit has her husband on his way to early retirement.
The Hansons, Denville residents for more than 30 years, are the latest New Jersey couple to win the Pick 6 Lotto jackpot -- and the second consecutive jackpot winner from Morris County.
On Nov. 1, Karen purchased the winning $3 million ticket at Key Food after stopping to buy a jar of mayonnaise.
"(The mayonnaise) was just something we needed for the house," Robert said.
An avid lottery player, Karen asked Robert to rush home from dinner that night so she could check the wining numbers.
"She screamed when she realized she got six (numbers) out of six," Robert said. The winning numbers were 16, 17, 27, 38, 44 and 46.
"The same numbers she always plays," Robert said.
The couple, who have three married children -- two sons and a daughter -- have plans for their newfound wealth.
"We're talking about a family vacation," said Karen, a retired UPS employee.
She also has other plans -- retirement for her husband.
"He works so hard," Karen said.
The last Pick 6 Lotto jackpot winners also were from Morris County.
Previously, Greg and Gloria DellaPia of Montville won the Oct. 16 drawing. Their prize was $2 million.
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