Richard Habermas

LAKE ANN — Richard C. Habermas, of Lake Ann, died Aug. 19, 2010, of accidental drowning in Lake Michigan. He was vacationing in Grand Haven with his wife, Shelley, enjoying the lake and waves that he loved.Richard was born in Flint on Monday, April 30, 1934, to Carlyle and Genevieve Habermas. He spent most of his life in southeastern Michigan until he retired from Oakland Schools in 1997. Richard was always drawn to the water, so in 1998 he moved to Grand Rapids to work for Old Kent Bank and to be closer to Lake Michigan.In October 2001, Richard retired for good and moved to Traverse City with Shelley to enjoy the pleasures and wonders of living "up north." It was a "dream come true" for him, and he worked hard to quickly establish their cozy home nestled in the pines, only minutes away from so many lakes.Most of Richard and Shelley's photo albums are filled with pictures that involve water in some way. Early on in his life he was an avid fisherman, always trying to catch that ever elusive muskie on Otsego Lake. Later on he enjoyed the "rocking and rolling" of his fishing boat more than getting a bite on his line.Richard loved the outdoors and the Sleeping Bear Dunes became one of his favorite spots. He enjoyed the majestic views of Lake Michigan with Shelley, whether they were walking hand in hand along the shoreline, hiking up a trail to see a panoramic view, or watching a sunset together from the comfort of their beach chairs.In 1953, when Richard was in the Air Force and stationed in Germany, he went skiing in the Swiss Alps. He never forgot the thrill of that experience, nor the beauty of the snow. Richard loved snow and after moving up north, he had fun telling people that he was not a "snowbird" but a "year rounder." He gave snow shoeing a try, but preferred cross country skiing.Richard was a man of integrity and dignity. This wonderful man and his smile will be dearly missed.Richard is survived by his wife, Shelley, and her son Derek (Wendy) Galunas; his daughter, Karen (Tom) Salley and his son Jim (Dawn) Habermas; his grandchildren, Brandon and Brittany Habermas; his brothers, Robert (Roberta) Habermas and Thomas (Peggy) Habermas; along with his dad's sisters, JoAnn Johnson and Patricia Schleager.In accordance with Richard's convictions, cremation took place without any funeral service. Always a strong advocate of organ donation, his wishes to help were also granted in the manner appropriate for his age.Donations in his memory may be made to the Hartwick Pines State Park, 4216 Ranger Rd., Grayling, MI 49738 or to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lake Shore, National Park Service, 9922 Front St., Empire, MI 49630. Please clearly indicate that the gift is given in memory of Richard Habermas.You may share your memories of Richard with his family at his online guestbook found at www.reynolds-jonkhoff.com.The family was served by Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home and Cremation Services.

Richard Habermas

August 19, 2010