Richard Wiley Hain

On June 27, 2023 Richard Wiley Hain Jr. ("Dick") age 91, in his home on Duck Lake, in the arms of his loving wife

Bonnie Corliss Hain, passed quietly from this life into the next.

Dick was born February 15, 1932, in Niles, Michigan. His parents were Dora Marie Tonkin Hain and Richard

Wiley Hain Sr.

Dick graduated from Muskegon High School in 1950, and had a year at Muskegon Junior College before entering

Purdue University where he graduated as a civil engineer. He had 3 years of Air Force ROTC and was an active

member of Kappa Delta Rho fraternity. He chose to wait to be drafted for 2 years' service in the Army Corps of

Engineers during the Korean Conflict. After basic training at Ft. Carson, Colorado, he was stationed at Ft.

Leonard Wood, Missouri. Following military service he worked 30 years for Howard, Needles, Tammen &

Bergendoff, Consulting Engineers as a registered professional engineer in highway design. During his last 10

years before retiring in 1997, he worked for CRSS Engineering.

More than anything else, Dick was a family man who loved and enjoyed kids. He was one of those rare people

that everyone liked. He was an active Christian believer and served many times as deacon and elder of Elmbrook

Baptist Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Cornerstone Community Church in Mears, Michigan. He was a

dedicated youth worker in those churches as well as Southern Gables Evangelical Free Church in Denver,

Colorado. He and his wife Bonnie joined Fruitland Evangelical Covenant Church after they moved to Duck Lake in

2005.

While growing up in Muskegon, Michigan, he was active in Boy Scouts. He earned the Scout Life badge and

almost attained Eagle Scout standing. He faithfully lived according to the Boy Scout Code of Honor and often

delighted his sons and grandchildren by rapidly reciting the Code aloud. His family enjoyed his quiet, low-key

sense of humor. He was a quiet, kind, patient, reliable man.

Dick was an expert wood-worker and impressed his family with special items from his well-stocked basement

workshop. He could fix almost anything. He was always working on projects and rarely sat down except to read.

He was an avid reader. He liked to dance and learned to polka in Milwaukee. He learned to square dance in

Denver. Dick was an expert skier and loved living in the foothills of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. He enjoyed

camping and motor home trips to southeastern U.S.with his wife, sister and brother-in-law Chuck Link. He

reveled in nature... sunsets, birds, animals. He kept several bird books handy to the help him identify various

species.

After retirement he and Bonnie moved to Mears, Michigan, Bonnie's hometown. Local children discovered his

love for kids when they played in the Hains' swimming pool.

In March, 2004, after celebrating their Golden Anniversary in Mears Methodist Church where they had been

married August 28, 1954, they sold their Mears house to live at Duck Lake with Dick's dad. Duck Lake is where

they first met in 1952 when Dick came in his canoe to the dock where Bonnie was sunbathing on her aunt's

dock.

Dick and Bonnie have 3 sons, Chris, Rick & Bob, as well as daughter-in-law Maria Martinez-Hain (wife of eldest

son, Chris). Their five grandchildren, Will, Chloe, Mateo, Ricky, and Jack, were born into the family after Dick's

retirement in 1997. They consider the Hain Duck Lake house to be their home away from home. Dick is also

survived by his beloved sister, Marylyn Link, age 90, as well as her son Ben and daughter Mardi. Marylyn lives

just around the corner and took an active part in her brother's care until his passing.

Dick will be greatly missed by numerous nieces, nephews, and in-law relatives. He was also beloved by the many

friends he's collected in his 91 years of life.

Dick's funeral service will be held at Fruitland Evangelical Covenant Church in Whitehall, Michigan on Monday,

July 3, at 11 am. Lunch to follow.