William A. Hanes

William “Bill” Hanes passed away on December 27, 2021 at his home with his wife Irene by his side after a short battle with cancer. He was born December 4, 1943 in Havana, Illinois to Hathaway and Mable Hanes.

Bill was an avid and accomplished drag racer, winning several IHRA and NHRA events. He was the 1973 NHRA Superstock World Champion. He and his wife Irene campaigned drag cars for several years together. Bill was a veteran, serving his country in the Army. Bill retired from the State of Michigan MDOT after a successful career of 35 years after working his way up to supervisor of statewide pump house maintenance.
Bill and his wife Irene were together for 57 years, even building their own house together. He had a great love for animals, especially dogs and had several rescue dogs over the years. Fred is their latest rescue dog.

Bill is survived by his wife Irene; cousins Murray Hanes and Leora Laylin; nephew David Hanes and niece Susan Schumacher. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Robert Hanes.

Family will welcome friends for visitation on Monday, January 3, 2022 from 2:00-4:00PM and 6:00-8:00PM at the Estes-Leadley Greater Lansing Chapel, 325 W. Washtenaw Street, Lansing. A service will be held on Tuesday, January 4, 2022 at 1:00PM at the Estes-Leadley Greater Lansing Chapel. Interment will take place at Chapel Hill Memorial Garden, Lansing, following the service.

The family is requiring that masks be worn for visitation and the service.

“In Lieu of flowers, tell your family and friends you love them and hug them daily. This world needs more people who genuinely and openly care.”

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to a charity of your choice or to the Capital Area Humane Society and the Drag Racing Association of Women, P.O. Box 365, Danvers, IL 61732.

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6 Messages to “William A. Hanes

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Susie Schumacher
December 29, 2021 at 9:51 pm

We will miss you forever Uncle Bill .
You could always carve that turkey like no one else 🙂
Rest in peace ,
See you in heaven !
Love Mark and Susie

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Tom Erb
December 30, 2021 at 10:42 am

My sincere condolences to all of Bill’s family and friends for your loss of such a great person.
I got to know Bill when he and his brother Bob were building, and then running their Chrysler powered dragster, and I was fortunate to make many trips up to Central Michigan Dragway at Mcbride (near Stanton), Michigan, with them.
I would see each of them frequently over many years at various automotive functions in our area.
Even with the passing of time, these memories are very clear and cherished.
I was privileged to know Bill so well, and ejoy his company.
Tom Erb

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David M Pelley
December 30, 2021 at 5:11 pm

Gods speed my friend. Take care Irene and family. Many blessings. Evon and Dave Pelley.

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HARVEY L JONES
December 31, 2021 at 11:35 am

Irene, we send our sincere condolences and prayers to you and your family. I remember all the stories and tales about the “Camaro” and “Impala” in the mailroom and am sure Bill may be establishing a drag strip in heaven for any of us enthusiasts. May God be with you during this time and watch over and protect you!

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Nancy
January 2, 2022 at 10:40 pm

Fun memories of my childhood when Uncle Bill and Aunt Irene allowed me to hang out at the track—test n tune & watch them actually race their chevys. They were a true team together right down to the smooth ability of driver switch off on road trips. You will always be the fun Uncle and I’ll miss your bear hugs. Gone too soon. We are all still in shock and very saddened. Rest In Peace. Brian & Nancy Sullivan

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Mike Lagos
January 4, 2022 at 8:22 am

Irene and family. So sorry for your loss. My deepest sympathy. I always enjoyed talking to Bill. He was a wealth of knowledge and I always appreciated him sharing it with me.

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