George James Haus

George Haus, age 79, died with his wife at his side on January 10, 1946. He was born on October 18, 1946, in Brooklyn, NY to Joseph and Anne Haus. George was preceded in death by his brothers, Michael (wife Barbara) and Ralph (wife Joyce), and brother -in-law, David Newlin. Surviving relatives include his beloved children, Samuel and daughter-in-law Sarah Newlin-Haus, Joseph Newlin-Haus and partner Monica Green, and grandchildren Liam, Kaitlyn, and Isabel. His nieces and nephews on the Haus side include Jennifer, Kelly, Michael, Ralph, Deborah, Celeste, and Joseph. His in-laws are Charles (wife Gretchen), William (wife Kim), Thomas (wife Deborah) and Kathy Kamo; nieces and nephews include Cedar, Alice, Esther, David, Stephen, and Maya.

George was the third of his brothers, all of whom remembered their years on a farm in upstate New York with particular fondness. After moving to Lexington, Kentucky, he participated in his share of naughtiness, earning many Friday evening phone calls to his parents from the nuns at school. He was removed from religion class for “asking too many questions.” Even after driving his motorcycle up the school hall on the last day of high school, he was allowed to graduate—he always assumed that they were just eager for him to move on.

He joined the Air Force out of high school, and traveled widely during this time, including a year in southeast Asia. He learned the computer skills that he would use throughout his life while in the Air Force. In recent years, he grew to greatly appreciate his service, and found a supportive community at the downtown VFW post.

He attended several universities but was not a stellar student until graduate school. He found his calling after becoming a counselor at a residential school for adolescents with behavior disorders. He moved to Bloomington, Indiana to attend summer school and stayed to earn his Master’s and Ph.D. in special education. When asked if she was surprised that George had a Ph.D., his mother responded, “Honey, we were surprised when he graduated high school.” He received a “Most Unexpected Brain” award at his 10th high school reunion.

He met his wife, Esther, on a blind date to a Halloween party. He called their relationship “the macabre aftermath of a Halloween party” for many years until Esther’s objection to this phrase finally convinced him to stop. When they both graduated, they moved to Venice, California, where George was an assistant professor at California State University, Northridge. After four years, they moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where George worked on federal education grants until they made their last move to Kalamazoo, Michigan. He joined the faculty at Western Michigan University, taught many special education teachers over the years, consulted with multiple school systems to assist them with students with particularly severe issues, and made many lifelong friends. George rarely hesitated to voice his opinions—feelings about him among colleagues and students was bimodal. It was not possible to be indifferent to George. He was not above mischief-making—he once made every answer to a multiple-choice test, “C,” greatly enjoying student reactions as they slowly looked up with puzzled faces. He particularly took pride in helping veteran students and those who themselves lived with disabilities. He helped many people get their jobs, particularly their first special education positions, though most did not know that he did so. He forbade his wife from telling them.

George and Esther married in 1978. At his death they had been together for 50 years. As with most couples, some years were easier and happier than others, but their marriage was strong and good. When George was forty years old, he was completely thrilled to become a father to his son, Samuel Newlin-Haus. The joyful addition of baby Joseph three years later completed their family. Of anything he ever did or accomplished, being a father was his crowning joy. “My boys,” he would often say with a catch in his voice—from their infancy throughout their lives. The family traveled extensively together, and lived in Spain for a school year when the boys were five and eight years old. The addition of grandchildren for grandfather “Ba” was beyond wonderful for him, and his lap was a favorite spot for all three. His utter silliness endeared him to the children. The entire family had a wonderful last Christmas together.

George was a man who enjoyed his toys. He spent hours with Esther in his canoe on lakes near Bloomington, also introducing her to camping. He was a fly fisherman—oddly, he was at his most graceful and athletic while wearing rubber pants, standing in a river casting line. He particularly enjoyed several trips salmon fishing with his father-in-law. He started sailing in California, where he parked his tiny boat next to fantastically expensive ones. He loved his sailing buddies on Gull Lake, meeting with them regularly through the rest of his life. He loved tying elaborate knots. He enjoyed both the artistry and the mathematics of photography. He began target shooting, and for several years was a “cowboy shooter,” which involved dressing up as a cowboy and shooting at various dramatized targets. He and his wife loved entertaining—dinner parties with friends were a joy to him. He was lucky to live in a loving neighborhood in Kalamazoo; for 25 years, the neighborhood friendship group would pack up all the kids and go camping at Sleeping Bear Dunes every 4th of July. He also greatly looked forward to many outings with his sailing buddies. These friends were especially supportive in his later years when his health declined precipitously.

George James Haus was one-of-a-kind, irreplaceable, and deeply loved.

A memorial service will begin at 1:30 p.m. at the Fetzer Center on January 24th with a reception to follow. Memorial contributions in George’s name may be made to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 827, 562 Portage Street, in Kalamazoo, Michigan. You can share your favorite stories on George’s dedicated webpage at BetzlerLifeStory.com. Betzler Life Story Funeral Homes, 6080 Stadium Drive, Kalamazoo (269)375-2900.