Stephen S. Hanway's Obituary
Stephen S. Hanway, age 75, passed away Wednesday, August 10, 2022. He was born January 29, 1947, in Greenwich, Connecticut, to William Jr. and Barbara (Fulton) Hanway. After a year at Washington & Jefferson College, he followed his love for the Maize and Blue and attended the University of Michigan, where he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. Instead of entering the workforce, Stephen joined the Marine Corps and served as a Lieutenant in the 1st Marine Division in Vietnam as an Infantry Platoon Leader. While serving his country, Stephen was severely wounded in combat and received the Purple Heart. He never forgot the sacrifices that his fellow soldiers made, and he devoted the rest of his life to being part of various veteran organizations, especially the Marine Corps League. After his time in the service, Stephen returned to the University of Michigan and earned a Master’s Degree in Education. He taught in special education for 8 years and took on coaching duties for middle school football. In 1983, he married the love of his life, Diane Bytwerk, and they were days away from celebrating 39 years together. He embarked on a 28-year career in the appraisal field and ran his own company, Hanway Appraisal (which he joked was “too big to fail!”). Stephen was a diehard fan of Michigan football and also enjoyed watching baseball and women’s soccer. An accomplished athlete himself, Stephen was starting pitcher and captain on his high school baseball team (who nicknamed him “leather arm”) and regularly ran marathons (including his favorite race, the Boston Marathon, which he ran twice). Stephen had a love for dogs, especially Charlie, a yellow Labrador who loved to steal dishtowels and hoard tennis balls, and would refer to them as God’s gift to humans. Stephen will be lovingly remembered by his wife, Diane; daughter, Hayley Hanway; brother, Alex (Linda) Hanway; and lifelong friend, Hal Weckler Jr. He was preceded in death by his parents and brothers, Jeffrey and Christopher Hanway. A MEMORIAL SERVICE will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 17, 2022, at The VanZantwick Chapel of Sytsema Funeral & Cremation Services, 620 Washington Ave., Grand Haven, MI 49417. VISITATION will be held one hour prior to the service. MEMORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS may be directed to the American Red Cross or Disabled American Veterans. Share memories with the family at http://www.sytsemafh.com
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