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Community invited to Haenicke memorial service

Feb. 17, 2009

KALAMAZOO--A service to honor the life of Dr. Diether H. Haenicke, president emeritus of Western Michigan University, is set for 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 26, in WMU's Miller Auditorium. A reception will immediately follow the service in the Richmond Center for Visual Arts.

Haenicke, who died Feb. 15, was WMU's fifth president, serving first from 1985 to 1998 and then returning for the 2006-07 academic year as interim president. He died at age 73 in Kalamazoo.

Members of the community, faculty, staff and students will have an opportunity to write messages to the family in condolence books that will be available at two campus locations, beginning Tuesday, Feb. 17, through Friday, Feb. 20. The books will be available for signing from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day in the lobby of the Bernhard Center and at the Information/Circulation Desk of Waldo Library.

Arrangements for the Haenicke service are being handled by Betzler Life Story Funeral Home of Kalamazoo. The funeral home also has established a page on the Life Story Network, where visitors can sign a guest book, recount their memories of Haenicke and upload photos to share. The site includes information about the family's suggestions for memorial donations and will include detailed information about the service as it becomes available.

Related articles
Former president Diether Haenicke dead at 73
Haenicke memorial fund established
Community celebrates life of former president Haenicke

Media contact: Cheryl Roland, (269) 387-8400, cheryl.roland@wmich.edu

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