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Throughout his 9.5 decades, “Hank” operated in high gear. He raced through life owning businesses, flying airplanes, painting seascapes, refinishing furniture, traveling to dozens of countries, writing poetry, restoring cars, riding horses, and enjoying everything on the farm.
Hank was graduated from Harlandale High School and famously “warmed the bench” for one of the first football games played in Monterrey, Mexico. He worked in electronics and joined the Texas National Guard, where he was the last of the radio airmen, a specialty phased out as pilots took over their own communications. The result was Hank served his country by flying around the United States getting plenty of “sack time.” He was a proud Veteran who finished with the rank he called “GFO.”
During the Cold War, his small business stumbled into the creation of bugging devices. Hank once pinned a flower with a radio transmitter on Ed McMahon’s lapel to demonstrate to Johnny Carson the cutting-edge spy craft of the era.
Around that time, he also landed his Piper Tri-Pacer on the wrong airfield near Washington, D.C. He was surprised to be greeted by armed Soldiers demanding to know who he was and why he was on their military base.
Subsequently, Hank grew his father-in-law Chet’s business representing manufacturers of construction equipment, and he built a sales team throughout the Midwest. He also expanded his business ventures to include rental properties in Missouri.
Hank was thrice married and had five children. He especially enjoyed time at Joanie’s “farm”: tending to the dogs, cats, and bees; riding horses; feeding the deer and fish; cutting, splitting, stacking, and burning firewood; watching squirrels get into the bird feeder; and enjoying the annual visit of a pair of geese who months later welcomed their goslings!
Hank is survived by Joanie Shores, his wife of nearly 40 years; his brother Gerry (Mary); his children Kathy Peña (Danny), Tom (C.J.), and Jason (Begonya); his grandchildren Tiffany, Geoffrey, Matthew, April, Andrea, Amanda, Maria’, Kandice, Amy, Joshua, Sofia, and Max Henry; and his former wife and mother of three of his children, Marli Klumb. He was preceded in death by his parents, Otto and Kathryn; his brother, Billy; and his sons, Bill (Linda) and Steve (Judee); and his former wife and mother of two of his children, Gladys Huslage.
A celebration of life will be held in the Spring.
