Hal was born February 23, 1940 in Onego, West Virginia to Michael and Edith (Huffman) Brautnick. The second of three children, he attended Frostburg State Teachers College after high school before enrolling in the United States Air Force following the passing of his mother. He lived in Maryland and was working for CIT when he met Janice McGorman, whom he would marry in June of 1966. Hal would then go to work for Chrysler Financial Corporation for 28 years, which would take him to Connecticut twice, West Virginia, and back to Maryland, before making a home with Jan and his sons in Rochester, Michigan for 36 years, retiring in 1996.
Both he and Jan were members of St. John Lutheran Church in Rochester from 1980 until they moved to Fox Run in Novi, Michigan in 2016 and joined St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Walled Lake, Michigan. He coached Little League baseball for both boys and faithfully filled the candles at St. John with oil for years. He loved working around the house and yard, playing pool twice per week at Fox Run, as well as watching sports of all kinds.
He is survived by his wife, Janice; two sons and daughters-in-law, Derek & Lynsay, and Chad & Michele; and two grandchildren: Oscar and Laurel. He was preceded in death by his parents, older sister Helen Brautnick, and younger brother Daniel (Danny) Brautnick.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, October 31, 2026 at 11:00 am at St. John Lutheran Church in Rochester, Michigan. Visitation will be held immediately prior to the service beginning at 10:00 am.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
