GRAND RAPIDS, MI - A funeral with military honors is planned Friday for Ralph Hauenstein, the prolific philanthropist and World War II hero who died Sunday at the age of 103.
A funeral Mass is scheduled 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 15, at the Cathedral of St. Andrew, 301 Sheldon Ave. SE in Grand Rapids. The service will be streamed online through the Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids website.
Visitation is scheduled from 6-9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 14, at Metcalf & Jonkhoff Funeral Home, 4291 Cascade Road SE, and 9-10 a.m. Friday before the funeral.
Click here the obituary.
Hauenstein was a World War II hero who helped form the Central Intelligence Agency, played high school football against Gerald R. Ford, was knighted by a pope and called a "cool cat" by rock star Bono.
After serving as a U.S. Army colonel and chief of intelligence for the European Theater of Operations in World War II, during which he helped decode encrypted German military messages and tricked Hitler about the D-Day invasion, Hauenstein went into business and owned several companies. He contributed millions of dollars to medical and education programs in West Michigan.
Matt Vande Bunte covers government for MLive/Grand Rapids Press. Email him at mvandebu@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter and Facebook.