Wayland native Henry “Hank” Richard Baweja died at the age of 71 Saturday, Aug. 24.
Hank was the third of seven children born to Valentine “Bill” and Sophie Baweja on Dec. 29, 1952 in Wayland. His siblings, in order of birth, were Valentine “Bill” (Linda) Baweja (deceased 2006), Rose (Cal) Brower, Ray Baweja, Ed (Cathy) Baweja, Tony (Mary Jo) Baweja, and Ruth Baweja.
Hank graduated from Wayland High School in 1971. He spent several years studying agricultural production at Michigan State University where he made great friends. He enjoyed catching up with in reunions.
He married his high school sweetheart, Eileen Marie Halloran, also of Wayland (deceased 2008) in September 1978. Though their marriage did not endure, the love they shared created four children and led to five grandchildren: Julie and Rob Banagale of Portland, Oregon with their two children Maren and Murphy; Brian and Aleisha Baweja of Kent City, and their boys Calvin Thomas, Miles Valentine, and Leo Walter; Phillip Baweja of Columbus, Ohio; and Becky Baweja of San Diego.
Hank enjoyed raising rabbits and the activities associated with the hobby for many years from traveling to shows, acquiring new breeds, and trading their offspring.
He also took great pleasure in chatting with friends and socializing with the local community, sharing stories, updates, and photos of his family.
Hank was a proud member of the Union Auto Workers and helped build American-made automobiles for the majority of his work life. To that end, he was a loyal General Motors customer and never was without a GM or Chevrolet truck.
Hank had his own idiosyncrasies, most notably his meticulous record-keeping of the daily rainfall, truck mileage, and the price of a gallon of unleaded gasoline. He even rounded up to the nearest penny to account for the extra thousandths of a dollar included in the retail price.
Hank’s family encourages those facing addiction or mental health challenges to openly acknowledge their struggles, seek support, and find hope each day for a better life.
Hank will be cremated and buried at St. Stanislaus Cemetery in Hilliards. A graveside ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, with a luncheon to follow at the St. Stan’s Hall. All are welcome to join in the celebration of his life.
