Michael "Mike" Lee Hasler

Hasler was born on April 21, 1947, in Linton, Indiana, son of Donna Bennett Hasler and John Henry Hasler. He was a graduate of Central High School, Switz City, Indiana, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Degree from Indiana State University, School of Business, along with The Award of The Professional Practice Program at Crane Naval Air Station which was the beginning of his intense interest in the United States Federal Government.

After graduation, he founded Hasler Independent Insurance Agency and built its portfolio to become one of the largest agencies in Indiana. At this time, he was elected County Counselman at Large in the largest county in Indiana and then, at age 28, was elected County Commissioner of that County and sat on the Indiana Board of Commissioners.

Entering the Federal Services, he worked for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Indianapolis, Indiana, the Department of Defense, Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana, and then as Chief Negotiating and Contracting Officer for the Indiana District Office of the United States Small Business Administration with a Level III warrant. He retired after twenty-five years of dedicated service in the Federal Government. He was well known for his strategic thinking, his integrity and trust, and was a noted speaker.

His most rewarding outside activities were Rotary International, Kiwanis International, Cub Scouts of America, and, earlier on, the Greene County Hospital Board of Trustees.

Hasler loved to travel both in country and out for work and for pleasure. His charming sense of humor was also a well-known trait of his and followed him throughout his life. He married Gale Sawyer Paul, as planned by him, on her birthday, December 20, 1999, humorous in itself, in St. Thomas, the United States Virgin Islands. He loved living in Texas and being a part of a large extended family, Southern, Southwestern and Northern East Coast, and a part of a community of people from all over the country.

Living in Texas, he learned to be an intense collegiate football fan. He could also actually see his own university play basketball on television in Texas. He used to say "We Texans are really rabid about our sports!" In addition, he became a huge baseball fan because of inspiration from his two Texas grandchildren.

He is survived by his wife, Gale; her children Merri Cronk, Merriʼs husband, Scott, and Kelly Sanderson Malott, and grandchildren, Kyle Cronk and Alec Justin Cronk, all of Austin, Texas; his brother-in-law, J. Clay Sawyer, M.D. and sister-in-law Dianne W. Sawyer, M.D. of Waco, Texas; his sister-in-law, Grace Susann Sawyer Collins, his brother-in-law, Robert Craig Collins of Temple, Texas, and their daughters, Grace Elizabeth Collins and Diane Lynn Collins of Austin, Texas. Also, he is survived by his mother, of Linton, Indiana; his sister, Ardith and brother-in-law James Richardson of Bloomfield, Indiana, their daughter, Kristi Hackett and her husband, Fred, of Indianapolis; his son, Jonathan Hasler, and daughter, Tricia Helms, grandchildren Hank, Cameron, and Erika Hasler and Luke and Nicholas Helms of Bloomingington, Indiana; daughter, Gretchen Simmerman, son-in-law, Brian Simmerson and grandchildren, Jake and Gwennyth Simmerman of McKinney, Texas; and daughter Jessica Murphey and grandchild, Eva Murphey of Indianapolis.

A memorial service will be held at St. Michaelʼs Episcopal Church, Austin, Texas, on Saturday, October 4, 2014, at twelve noon and will be celebrated by the Reverend Janne Alro Osborne.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Michaelʼs memory can be made to the American Heart Association or to a charity or cause of oneʼs choosing and would be gratefully appreciated by his family.