Henry Charles Haeger

On Thursday September 26th after a long and arduous battle with pancreatic cancer, Henry Haeger quietly breathed his last breath in his Carrollton home surrounded by his loving family. His passing was as peaceful and graceful as the life he led. He was 68 years old.
Henry's life began in 1956 on the 23rd of August. He was born to two schoolteachers, Herman and Jane Haeger in St. Louis, Missouri. Though his beginnings were humble, he and his brother Fred were treated to musicals at the Muny Opera and family dinners at nice restaurants. Until his younger siblings Ellen and Charlie were born. Suddenly a schoolteacher salary didn't seem quite so lavish. Meals were made at home with what could be found in the pantry or refrigerator, and musicals were out of the question unless the children could afford their own ticket. That was Henry's first lesson in humility and as he grew, it is clear that he never forgot it.
From an early age, Henry made a name for himself as an athlete. He excelled in every sport he played, and he played a few. Between track, football, water polo, and basketball, Henry performed well enough to set multiple school records. But basketball would be the sport that made Henry a legend.
At games for the Lindbergh High School basketball team, on any given night you could hear a chant from the crowd. "Oh Henry!" they'd say. The chant came from the name of the beloved candy bar, and became the rally cry for every time Henry would outrun and outplay every other player on the court. This was so well known that articles printed in local newspapers about the team would feature headlines stating, "Oh Henry Does It Again!".
Following his success in high school, Henry received a full scholarship to Christian Brothers College in Memphis, Tennessee to play for the CBC Buccaneers. From 1974-1978 he was among the team's top scorers and received the MVP award for his career high 1976 season. When he was injured one season, the local newspaper sports writers would focus as much on his recovery as they did on the players actually in the game.
While basketball was a big part of Henry's life, his true love was the great outdoors. He spent every summer from the age of 7 at YMCA's Camp Lakewood in Potosi, Missouri where his parents worked between school semesters. When he was old enough, he became a counselor himself, founding a program known as "Work Camp" where children whose parents could not afford the full tuition could send them to Henry at a reduced rate to learn practical skills while working on projects around the lake. Some of Henry's favorite stories from this time involve hiking, climbing, cliff jumping, dock building, pigs (which is a much longer story in itself), and supporting children in having a great camp experience and walking away with skills that they can use for the rest of their lives. Many legends of Henry's time at Camp Lakewood still persist to this day.
When Henry graduated from CBC, he turned to another life goal of his, fatherhood. Henry had always wanted to be a father to a large family, to love and cherish his children and bring them up faithfully to follow his Lord Jesus Christ. In this, he found what he would consider his greatest success. Through trial and sacrifice Henry was a single father to his son Jason for several years. They did not have much money to live on, but Henry had faith in abundance. By walking in faith, he eventually met his wife Lilian, a Brazilian immigrant. Henry and Lilian bonded over their similar upbringings despite being continents apart. Their marriage would grant him three more children, Kelsey, Gregory, and Brian. He had even wanted more children but was smart enough to listen to the wisdom of his loving and clear-headed wife.
The next several decades of Henry's life were full of love and dedication. He was blessed with a successful career as a project manager and consultant. This required extensive travel and time away from his family, which was as difficult for him as for those he left at home. But he was intentional to be present in every single moment that he could. This may be hard to understand for those who didn't know Henry, but he had a unique ability to make whoever he spoke to feel seen, loved, and important.
There aren't enough pages and paragraphs to cover Henry's life, his love of music and art, his penchant for pondering the questions of life deeply and speaking out loud in prayer to God, his love for nature and zeal for new experiences. Those who knew him will remember him for his faithfulness, integrity, dedication, and his beautiful voice for worship. His life and legacy will live on in the memories we keep.
Henry is survived by his wife, Lilian; and his four children, Jason, Kelsey, Gregory, and Brian; as well as his siblings, Ellen and Charlie.
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In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to raise much needed funds to cover the funeral expenses and support the family. Alternatively, you can make a donation to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. No donation is too small and your support would be greatly appreciated.
Links for both donations can be found below. Thank you.