Carl Bayha

Passionate, determined, and generous, Carl Bayha lived a life rich in family, friends, and service to others. Carl led by example, leading with his heart in all things and never hesitating to give what he could to make life better for everyone he met. Carl rooted his life in hard work, self-reliance, and strong family bonds. He believed in passion over profit, continuous growth, and the power of nature. Intelligent, headstrong, creative, insightful, and goofy, Carl was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend who will long be remembered and so very missed.

1947 proved a year of continued celebration of the nation's momentous victory in World War II. America's heroes eagerly returned home to a country filled with renewed spirit and hope, ready to claim their share of the American Dream, which they proudly fought for overseas. As American prosperity grew like no time in our history, hope sprang eternal, and the Greatest Generation soon proliferated, creating the age of the Baby Boomers. The cause for celebration grew even greater for Martha and Otto Bayha as they welcomed their son, Carl, on September 18.

Carl’s family lived on a family farm in Bliss Township, Michigan, where his father was a potato farmer for most of the year and plowed roads and cut wood in the winter. Following a few hard years of dry weather, the family began searching for a change and new opportunities. Otto found work at Michigan Carton Company. The job resulted in the family moving to the Battle Creek area of Michigan.

The Bayha family values were built on the firm foundation of a strong work ethic with a focus on a self-sufficiency mindset, and that determination leads to better times and opportunities. Carl’s mother was a hardworking nurse. Focusing on raising the children, she worked part-time to help make ends meet until the youngest started grade school. Carl’s later affinity for the sciences began with his mother and the books brought to him by his Aunt Helen.

From a young age, Carl enjoyed reading, especially the Hardy Boys books. With an insatiable curiosity and commitment to lifelong learning, he spent much time reading research journal articles, science magazines, and newspapers. It was common to find Carl immersed in Science News, National Geographic, and the Detroit Free Press. When it came to non-fiction books, Carl gravitated to Science Fiction. The works of Isaac Asimov and J.R.R. Tolkien were two of his favorite authors.

Dually talented, Carl played football as a lineman and the clarinet in the band while attending Springfield High School in Battle Creek. Intellectually driven, Carl excelled and showed great interest in the sciences, particularly biology. After graduating from high school in 1965, he worked at a Leila Y. Post Montgomery Hospital in Battle Creek and aspired to become a neurosurgeon.

Driven by a growing scientific interest, Carl attended Kellogg Community College until he was interrupted during the draft period of the Vietnam War. Rather than wait for the inevitable, Carl chose to enlist with the army. As a result of his resourcefulness and leadership skills, he became a drill sergeant specializing in mortar training and was never deployed overseas. He was primarily stationed at Fort Dix near Trenton, New Jersey during the War.

Once Carl was honorably discharged, he used his GI Bill to resume his studies at KCC before furthering his education at Michigan State University. Carl studied the sciences and focused strongly on invertebrate/vertebrate zoology and anatomy. He conducted various research projects in arachnology and arthropodology, working closely in a lab with Dr. Porter while at Michigan State University. Carl graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree and double majored in Chemistry and Zoology in 1977.

While attending Kellogg Community College, Carl had the good fortune of meeting his future wife, Nancy. Carl was instantly attracted to her beautiful long blonde hair and warm personality. They began chatting and soon realized that they shared a lot of similar interests such as naturalism and homesteading. Early on, while getting to know each other better, they went on a KCC sponsored, multidisciplinary backpacking trip to Isle Royale which proved to cement their strong connection and bond. They began dating and enjoyed the outdoors together. With much in common and a desire to share the future, the happy couple married on a brisk Michigan spring day. Surrounded by freshly picked lilacs and marsh marigolds, on May 12th, 1979, they exchanged their vows at Kellogg Forest and a beautiful double rainbow blessed their special day.

In time, Carl and Nancy welcomed their children, John, Shanti, and Abraham to their family. Family life was rooted in tradition, including going to Grandmothers’ homes for major holidays, where they always enjoyed a nice meal and family-focused activities. Fridays often consisted of renting movies and either bringing home pizza from the local corner store or making nachos at home with the family’s signature homemade hot salsa and spending time together.

The family commonly went on vacations to Beaver Island and explored Northern Michigan’s amazing wilderness. During family trips to Canada, Carl spent many mornings watching the sunrise, looking out over the North Channel of Lake Huron towards St. Joseph Island. He also enjoyed fishing and other outdoor activities with the children while on their various family trips.

During his early years post-graduation, Carl used his skills to work in various skilled trade positions, including appliance repair, roofing, and bread baking. In time, he began his first career at General Motors. After working for the company for over 20 years, Carl retired early with a buyout package he used to attend Midwest College of Oriental Medicine in Skokie, Illinois, where he studied acupuncture while practicing Shiatsu massage on the side to supplement the family income.

Carl graduated from acupuncture school and completed his board certification in the early 90s. After graduating, Carl worked at various places to gain experience and save up, hoping to open his own practice. This dream became reality in 1998 when he opened the doors to Holistic Health Choices Ltd. in Kalamazoo, Michigan. With further success, he eventually opened a second location in Otsego, Michigan.

A feverishly hard worker, Carl was known to leave for work before sunrise and come home after sunset. An avid learner and critical thinker, he developed numerous treatment protocols and methodologies throughout his career as an acupuncturist. During the middle of his career, he was invited to conduct numerous lectures at Mayo Clinic in 2001. While working at Mayo, he commuted back and forth between Rochester, Minnesota, and Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Carl’s devotion to his work was evident in his commitment to doing everything he could to genuinely help others. Well-known for exceeding expectations, Carl was constantly working to help others and his family. No matter the time or sacrifice and regardless of the situation, he willingly helped others. Even in his supposed retirement years, he continued to practice acupuncture by making house calls throughout the State of Michigan. He passed away suddenly shortly after returning HOME from one of those selfless trips.

Carl loved to travel to the family’s sanctuary property in Tennessee that him and Nancy purchased in 1979 on a land contract located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. He enjoyed backpacking into the land and camping there with his family. Later, his children and extended family worked together to build a rustic cabin on the land. This property is a huge part of Carl’s legacy, and he worked tirelessly, even during other financial hardships, to improve the property and ensure it remained in the family for generations to come.

Always interested in spirituality from all walks of life, cultures, and traditions, Carl had strong focuses on both Western and Eastern religions and traditional medicines. This even transcended to involvement in tribal medicine traditions — collaborating and learning together with an Anishinabek elder tribal healer. Until his last days, he was an active yogi who followed the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda and Self Realization Fellowship.

Carl had eclectic musical tastes that ranged from rock ‘n’ roll to folk and jazz. It was common for him to listen to classic rock songs by Led Zepplin, Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath, Eric Clapton, The Doors, Boston, Blue Oyster Cult, The Moody Blues, Ravi Shankar, and Alice Cooper. When it came to his viewing preferences, wildlife movies, photography shows, or sci-fi movies and series were his favorite ways to spend time.

Without a doubt, Carl’s family was his greatest joy, and his grandchildren were his heart’s delight. A very passionate and patient grandpa, Carl was very involved in his grandchildren’s lives. He relished attending family gatherings and all their special events and never hesitated to allow his grandchildren to put flowers and bows in his beard for their amusement.

May we also find comfort in the honor of carrying Carl’s legacy of love, generosity, and devotion forward. Whenever we greet the morning with a strong cup of coffee, observe the beautiful works of Mother Nature around us, enjoy nachos with homemade hot salsa, indulge in a Bell’s Two Hearted, welcome a stranger as a friend, and embrace each day as a gift, we celebrate the countless ways Carl touched, moved, and inspired everyone he met. In this way, we keep his spirit alive and inspiring others as he so inspired us.

A Life Story Service will be held Saturday, November 2, at 3 PM at Betzler Life Story Funeral Homes, 6080 Stadium Drive, Kalamazoo (269) 375-2900. A reception will follow in the Life Story Center where food, drinks, and stories can be shared. Memorial donations can be made to The Nature Conservancy, Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy, Doctors Without Borders, World Food Program USA, or Self Realization Fellowship. Celebrate Carl's life online by sharing stories and photos on his personal webpage at BetzlerLifeStory.com.