- Date Of Birth: August 25, 1929
- Date Of Death: September 29, 2020
- State: Michigan
Willard J. (Bill) Haak, age 91, passed away peacefully at home in Kalamazoo, Michigan on Tuesday, September 29, 2020. Born August 25, 1929 in Zeeland, Michigan, he was the son of the late Isaac and Berdena Haak.
After receiving his Master’s Degree in Chemistry from Michigan State University in 1957, Bill worked for the Upjohn Company as a Research Chemist for 33 years, retiring in 1990. Bill was a member and a Club President of Toastmasters International, and taught gun safety to 4-H members and his family. Bill also served his country as a soldier in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict.
A long-time member of Westwood Christian Reformed Church, Bill lived out his faith in numerous practical ways. He and his wife Maxine served as Kalamazoo Area Managers for Disaster Response Services (DRS) of World Renew for more than 10 years, and as Assignment Coordinators for all of DRS for more than five years. Bill and his wife also set up and helped run a food pantry at Westwood Christian Reformed Church. Bill volunteered for the American Red Cross for 52 years, where as a pioneer in CPR training he trained many first responders in Kalamazoo County. His service to the American Red Cross also involved providing disaster response services, and he was often called away from home to provide immediate assistance to families displaced by fires or storms.
A life-long learner, Bill studied a wide variety of topics, including the life and works of C.S. Lewis, the workings of the natural world, and how to add humor to his speeches and everyday life. Bill had many hobbies and passions, including photography, gun safety, golf, and camping throughout the country with his family and friends.
Bill was preceded in death by his wife of 67 years, Maxine D. Haak (nee Selles) of Kalamazoo, Michigan. He was also preceded in death by his brother Laverne (Kay) Haak and his sister Helene (Rich) Niebor.
Bill is survived by his sister Barb (Jace) Walters; daughter Karen (Kalvin) Vander Weele and their children Becki, Gretchen, Jessica (Craig) Burton, Heidi (Waveland) Howe, David (Emma), and Robert; daughter Ann; daughter Jane (Gary) Grant and their children Emily, Elizabeth and Abigail; and daughter Lori (Ken) Hoogstra and their children Leah and Kristen. He leaves seven great-grandchildren, two great-great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.
