Joseph Lambert Hauflaire

Joseph Hauflaire passed away during the night of May 4th, 2022 of natural causes at the age of 96. He was born on August 8th, 1925 in Chicago, Illinois and was a proud veteran of the United States Coast Guard. As a young man, he met his sweetheart, Jean Day, and they fell in love spending days on Rainbow Beach and nights on ballroom dance floors. They were married for 72 years, tying the knot on May 29th, 1947, and raised their five children in South Bend, Indiana. Joe dedicated his professional career to General Electric with an impressive 40 years of service. Upon retirement, Jean and Joe were fortunate enough to build their dream home on the beach of New Buffalo, Michigan. This home was the setting for over 35 years of family celebrations filled with love, joy, and laughter. Joe was a devoted patriarch and the reason the family has a lifetime of beautiful memories. Community was also extremely important to him. He volunteered with the elderly, helping to drive them to appointments, and was a skilled and committed hand ball player at the YMCA, never missing a week. Joe's family would say he was charming, clever, and one of a kind. He spoke his mind and one never had to guess what he was thinking. Although he was tough at times on his loved ones, he always had their best interests at heart, recognized their strengths and encouraged them to be the best they could be. Joe is survived by his children, Joseph Hauflaire, Dean (Kim) Hauflaire, and Douglas Hauflaire; his grandchildren: Heath (Kelly) Hauflaire, Julie Stebbins, Jessica Hauflaire (Scott Rimer), Barbara Stebbins, Allison Hauflaire, Nathan Stebbins, Drew (Nathalie) Hauflaire, Spencer Hauflaire, Gregory (Vanessa) Hauflaire, Blair Hauflaire, Kelsey Hauflaire, Dani (Evan) Roberts, Drake (Jordan) Hauflaire, Bridget Hauflaire; his great grandchildren: Sebastian, Logan, Caleb, Harper, Holden, Rudy, Monroe, Emilia, Brooks. He was preceded in death by his wife, Jean Hauflaire; son Jeffrey Hauflaire, and daughter, Nancy Stebbins.A Graveside Service will take place in July for both Joseph and Jean at St. Joseph Valley Memorial Park.To send private condolences, please visit: http://www.mcgannhay.com/condolences.html