Bernard J Havens

Bernard J. Havens, known by all as “Bernie”, 94, passed away Saturday, September 24, 2021, at Heritage Point of Fort Wayne. He was born April 8, 1927 in Brooks, Iowa, near Corning, to the late Glade E. and Lois E. (Odell) Havens. He grew up during the Great Depression on an 80 acre farm, helping tend the farm at a young age. His father’s home-built crystal radio inspired him to study hard and graduate Corning High School at age seventeen. Upon turning eighteen in April 1945, he enlisted in the United States Coast Guard and graduated Basic Training and Radioman School where he earned his “Golden Sparks”. He was then stationed at Woods Hole, Massachusetts and served on several lightships placed along the New England coast, his most memorable ship was the USCG Lightship Nantucket II. The sea can be treacherous in the northeast and Bernie would recount tales of storms with waves raking the ship.

Upon his honorable discharge from the Coast Guard, he returned home to Brooks, Iowa where he took a job wiring homes for electricity in Iowa and Texas . Bernie used his G.I. Bill in 1949 and enrolled in Indiana Technical College, graduating in 1952 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering. Bernie’s first job after graduation was with the Capehart Corporation. Capehart was purchased by the Farnsworth Television and Radio Corporation and Bernie worked on developing the solid state technology that was to eventually replace vacuum-tube systems. Several years later, ITT Corporation’s Aerospace/Optical Division purchased the Farnsworth business for it’s radio and electronics knowledge base and Bernie worked for ITT as an electrical engineer for the remainder of his working days, 36 years in total.

While attending Indiana Tech, Bernie boarded with other young men at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Green Swaim. Many of these men and their ensuing families became lifelong friends. They were invited to attend fellowship meetings at First Methodist Church in downtown Fort Wayne and that is where Bernie met the love of his life, Mae Belle Sheets. They were married in August of 1952 and built a house on Abbott St. in 1953. This preceded their children Phyll, Andy, Gail and Jon being born from 1953 to 1959.

Bernie and Mae Belle made several memorable international trips over the years including visiting the Holy Land in 1972, hiking the Inca Highway from Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu in Peru in 1982, two trips to Europe in the 1980’s and one to England in the 1990’s. They traveled through China in the early 2000’s with their good friends Jim and Lilian Chen. And they visited family and friends throughout the United States over the course of their long marriage.

Bernie had an abiding interest in all things electronic and was an amateur radio operator in the 1960’s with the call sign WD9RDM. Bernie also served on the Troop Committee for Boy Scout Troop 30 while his sons were involved in Scouting. He was active in his church’s Methodist Men’s Fellowship, was a member of the ITT Old Timers Club, served in the Foster Park Lions Club for many years, and was involved in many church missions and projects. He was an accomplished wood worker and finished a cherry roll-top desk project for Mae Belle only several years ago.

Bernie is survived by his wife of 69 years Mae Belle Havens, of Fort Wayne, IN; children Phyll (Vicky) Havens, Andy (Joanne) Havens, Jon (Lyn) Havens, all of Fort Wayne, IN; Gail (Mark) Ogle of Mooresville, IN; sister Martha Kretzinger of Lompoc, CA; grandchildren Becky (Michael) Shanabarger, Camden Ogle, Kylie (Drake) Everson, Bob Havens, Baylie Havens, Mike Havens, Cathy Havens, Karsyn Havens and Joseph Havens. Bernie was proceeded in death by a grandson Cody Ogle; siblings Opal M. Cooper, Edna Pitts, Ruth E. Costin and Eugene Havens. Funeral Service will be at 11am, Thursday, July 29, 2021 at the First-Wayne Street United Methodist Church, 300 E. Wayne St., Fort Wayne, IN, with visitation one hour prior at the church. Entombment in Covington Memorial Gardens. Memorials may be made to First Wayne Street United Methodist Church* or the Lions Club International.**

* https://fwsumc.org/

** https://www.lionsclubs.org/en/donate