(November 6, 1941- April 4, 2021)
No one wants to write an obituary. Trust me on that! This obituary, or something like it, was started years ago after Dad and I watched an episode of “Everybody Loves Raymond,” where Raymond writes his dad’s obituary while he is still alive. Dad thought that was a great idea, I thought it was weird. I started putting a few thoughts together and asked him what he would want his obituary to say. Being the modest guy he was, he said he really didn’t know but to let him think about it. Although he never told us what he wanted we knew our dad wouldn’t want anything sad, he wouldn’t want anything traditional. He would want something that let everyone know he was ok. That WE were ok. With very heavy hearts, our family has lost a loving husband (wife Susan) an amazing father, daughter Wendi (husband Bill Hammond), son Darren (wife Nancy), son Brad and a wonderful “Papa” (grandchildren Weston and Carli Hammond, Zachary and Tucker Haines).
William James Haines, known to all as “Bill”, passed away April 4, 2021, after a run with Parkinson’s related Dementia.
Born November 6, 1941, in Oakland, California. He attended John Burroughs High School and later Glendale City College.
On June 11, 1965, our Dad married our mom, Susan Ann Hornbeck. Our parents went on to raise a family, build a business and enjoy their grandchildren. Married 56 years, the loss for our mom will be incomprehensible.
Our Dad wasn’t one to sit back and let things happen – in our eyes he made things happen. Our dad was determined, hard-working and always wanted to provide for his family. After working for Pacific Electronics, Dad decided he wanted to start his own business. Although risky; very little savings, young children at home and a mortgage, with the support of our mom – Westek was launched. Dad’s dedication to make Westek successful was the gateway to Corpane. As his business’ grew and his reputation became unprecedented – Trek Industries was to follow. Trek Industries took our parents to Louisville, Kentucky. We had some great times together visiting them and going to many Kentucky Derbys. (Mint Juleps are delicious!) Our parents traveled all over the world but were happiest spending time with us, our families and their grandchildren.
We were fortunate to learn many valuable lessons from our Dad. Rubber bands secure everything, Saran Wrap is the only choice for food preservation, Zip Ties are better than duct tape, and extension cords will never tangle if wrapped around your arm and stored the right way.
Our Dad was a kind, gentle soul. He made everyone feel comfortable and at ease no matter what the situation. He lit up a room and was so good with people. No one left our houses without him walking you to your car and seeing you safely on the road out of sight.
Dad was an avid runner. On his early morning runs he would pick things up that he saw either on the ground or in a bush. One morning he brought a horse home, and if you know where we lived, waking up to a horse in your backyard was so exciting! Our Dad watered trees at Two Strike Park because he noticed they were lacking water. He made special trips to water those trees, often times coming home with a full report on how they were doing. It was the small things he did that had huge impacts on everyone and his kindness will never be forgotten.
We were blessed to be raised by such an amazing man. His kind gentle soul lives on in all of us. He would not want us to pine for him so we won’t – intentionally. What we will do is make sure we live up to who he was. We loved him so and will miss him dearly…until we meet again.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, consider a donation to Comfort-Focused Hospice Care in Burbank.
