William "Bill" Hanes

Bill passed away peacefully on April 14, 2022, leaving this earth to reunite in Heaven with Jean, his wife of 63 years and his cherished son, Daniel, along with his parents, siblings and many other relatives and friends. Bill leaves behind a loving family including his eldest son, Bill (Darlene) and his daughter, Heidi (Frank), 6 grandchildren (Danny, Andrew, Ali, Coral, Frankie, Nathan) and 9 great-grandchildren (Tyler, Haleigh, Jackson, Mylo, Harrison, Maverick, Hudson, Clara, Marlie). Leading a fascinating life that spanned 99 years, Bill truly left his mark on this world. Born in Lansing, MI, the eldest of three children (Bill, Bob and Jackie), Bill was the first to test his wings in the world. As a youngster, it was not unusual to find him making his way to the golf course early each weekend morning, where he would caddy for the local golfers- often carrying a bag for one golfer in the morning and another in the afternoon. If he was lucky, he’d bring home a dollar or more- a fortune during the depression! His love for golf was ignited during those early morning caddy sessions and would last his entire life. As a student at Lansing Eastern High School, Bill(y) played both football and golf. However, it wasn’t until much later that he was able to return to his beloved sport of golf, as WWII was capturing the world’s attention and along with it Bill’s. Shortly after his high school graduation, Bill worked at the Hudson Motor Car Company in Detroit, but joining the Navy was at the forefront of his vision. So, at the ripe “old” age of 19, Bill enlisted and was off on an adventure that would span four years and include six (or more) states, two colleges, numerous certificates of special training, an aviator license, and one aircraft carrier. First stop- December 7, 1942- U.S. Naval Training Station, Great Lakes, Illinois. Bill officially became a sailor. It was common, while in training, to focus on one area of expertise; Bill chose aircrafts. Two of his many certificates included fuel cell repair from Akron, OH and aviation metalsmith certification from Wichita, KS. Later, between 1943 and 1946, these trainings were put to good use as Bill spent time cruising the Atlantic on the USS Charger, a converted aircraft carrier out of Norfolk, VA, whose purpose was to escort larger war ships safely across the Atlantic. When he wasn’t on the ship, he was training and playing football at both the University of Georgia and Murray State Teachers College in Murray, KY. It was difficult for football coaches during the war to know who they’d have available to play from week to week. However, Bill was stationed at Murray State for a full season and looking at the articles, it is clear that the coach was happy to have “Willie” Hanes in the backfield racking up the points for the Thoroughbreds as their lead fullback. Working on the aircraft carrier affected Bill both positively and negatively- due to the loud engines with which he worked, he lost nearly 40% of his hearing in both ears. He also fell in love with the idea of flying and soon was training as a naval airman. Bill achieved this goal and was soon flying over the Atlantic, Western Europe and other areas near and far. Although the war officially ended on September 2, 1945, Bill continued as a Naval airman for another 7 months until April 1946. After the Navy, Bill’s next adventure took him to Michigan State College (now Michigan State University). While at MSU, Bill defied the common convention of playing four years of sports (remember he played football at both the Univ. of GA and at Murray State) by playing four additional years of varsity golf and earning his bachelor’s degree in literature and his master’s degree in fine arts. During this time, his golf game was on fire and he was offered sponsorship to play on the professional tour. However, knowing that becoming a professional golfer was not a smart or lucrative career, he instead opted to sign his first contract as a teacher at Romeo Junior High School. Romeo, MI was to become a pivotal point in Bill’s life as this town led him to his true love- Mary Jeannette Sadler. Jean ignored Bill’s invitations for months until finally relenting and agreeing to ONE date. The rest is history. Bill and Jean married in Lake Worth, FL, where Jean’s parents had moved to run a motel they had recently purchased. After their wedding it was back to Michigan where Bill was teaching and Jean worked in a bank and later in a dress shop. Jean was also a graduate of MSU, and on game days Bill would pick Jean up from work and they’d drive the 100 miles to the stadium to watch MSU trounce their next opponent. Our parents adored MSU to the extreme and all three of us, their children, were rocked to sleep to the MSU Fight Song- “On the banks of the Red Cedar…” They truly lived a charmed life in MI, but Jean’s parents were in FL and it was so darn cold in MI. With that in mind, Bill applied for a position in South Florida and they were soon on their way to Hollywood, FL. While in Hollywood, Bill and Jean found their church home- St. James in the Hills Episcopal Church- a church they helped to found. Church became an important part of their lives and they made sure each of their children were brought up in the church. To this day, we all consider St. James our home. Bill worked at McArthur HS, South Broward HS, and Hallandale Senior HS as a teacher and coach. Each summer he worked as a lifeguard at the local pool. During this time Bill and Jean welcomed three children- Billy, Danny and Heidi- and Bill traveled back and forth to FSU working on his master’s in leadership. His hard work paid off and soon Bill was offered the position of interim principal at New River Junior High and then in 1969 he interviewed for and was offered the job as principal at Plantation High School (PHS). Upon acceptance of this new position, the Hollywood house went up for sale and the family moved to the beautiful city of Plantation. Plantation became Bill and Jean’s home for the next almost 50 years. They raised their children here and watched all three matriculate through Plantation High under the watchful eyes of Bill as the school’s principal. PHS was one of Bill’s greatest passions. From athletics to music, he loved every single aspect of this school. His pride was evident in his trademark red blazer and his red Stetson. He was Mr. PHS. In addition to his beloved school, Bill and Jean were also extremely involved in the City of Plantation. They supported the library, the Historical Society, the Garden Club and more. However, golf was never far from Bill’s mind and while traveling through the mountains of NC, he and Jean happened upon Mt. Mitchell Golf Club, which would become their second home for 30+ years. They lived on the 11th tee and were in Heaven. Sadly, Bill lost the love of his life in 2015 when Jean went to her Heavenly home. Bill continued to enjoy his family and all of the grandchildren and great grandchildren, but there was a little spark missing from his eyes. It wasn’t hard to realize that he had one eye focused on heaven and the other on his family here on earth. During the last few years of his life, Bill lived close to his daughter, Heidi, and son, Bill, in Georgia and most recently in Fort Myers, FL. The highlight of his most recent time in FL was visiting his church home- St. James- taking rides in the car and watching Frank’s football games and his great grandchildren play ball. On March 17, 2022, Bill hit a milestone birthday- 99! He, gracious as ever, thanked everyone for their good wishes. A few weeks later he battled aspiration pneumonia and never got his strength back. He was transferred to HOPE hospice on Wednesday, April 13, 2022 and after receiving permission from his family to go to his wife, Jean, and his cherished son, Danny, he passed peacefully on April 14, 2022. His family is secure in the knowledge that he celebrated a magical first Easter in Heaven with Jean, Danny, his mom, his dad, his brother, Bob, sister, Jackie and many other relatives and friends. Although we will miss our Dad/Papa, we know exactly where he is and that we will see him- all of them- one day. A celebration of life will be held on Friday, April 22, 2022 at 12:00PM (noon) at St. James in the Hills Episcopal Church, 3329 Wilson Street, Hollywood, FL 33021. A reception to honor Bill Hanes will be celebrated on Friday, April 22, 2022 at 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM. at Plantation Community Center, 5555 Palm Tree Rd., Plantation, FL 33317. Bill Hanes’s passion was education. In his honor a scholarship fund benefitting future educators has been established through the Broward Education Foundation. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that gifts and donations be offered to fund this scholarship. Gifts and donations can be sent directly to the foundation in Bill’s honor by following this link: https://browardedfoundation.org/william-n-hanes-memorial-scholarship/ Gifts and donations can also be mailed to: Broward Education Foundation 600 SE 3rd Ave., 1st Floor Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 Please note- William Hanes in the memo line Arrangements are being handled by Shikany's Bonita Funeral Home, Family Owned Since 1978.

William "Bill" Hanes

March 17, 1923 - April 14, 2022