Franklin H. Haeberle

LAKEVILLE - Franklin H. Haeberle, 92, died Feb. 9, 2008, after a long illness. He was the husband of Marion Haeberle.

He was born in Queens, N.Y., on June 23, 1915, son of Anna (Kronenberger) and Henry C. Haeberle.

He attended New York City schools, entered an accelerated studies program and graduated from Newtown High School at age 16. After high school, he worked at several commercial firms in New York City.

In 1943, he married Marion Reichardt of Floral Park, N.Y. They were married for 64 years, and lived in Floral Park until they moved to Lakeville in 1980.

He was a longtime employee of the Otis Elevator Company, starting work with the company before World War II.

During the war, he was a civilian employee of the Department of the Navy at the New York Naval Shipyard (Brooklyn Navy Yard). He worked as a draftsman preparing drawings for the refurbishing and reconstruction of battle-damaged ships and for the construction of new ships and aircraft carriers. He calculated the technical details necessary for ship launchings, and served as an official photographer for the launchings of several battleships and aircraft carriers, including the Kearsarge, the Bonhomme Richard and the Franklin D. Roosevelt.

After the war he returned to work at Otis Elevator Company, where he was employed until his retirement in 1975, eventually rising to the position of chief of the drafting department.

While working full time and raising a family, he attended night school for 12 years and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn (now Polytechnic University) in 1953.

Mr. Haeberle's interests included the Boy Scouts as a member and later as a leader for his sons' Cub Scout pack. He was a lifelong reader of both popular and serious literature. Although his reading was sadly curtailed as he slowly lost his eyesight to macular degeneration, he continued to enjoy books, newspapers and magazines through tapes and disks provided by the Library of Congress and the Connecticut State Library. Other interests included music, travel, gardening and photography.

In addition to his wife, Marion, he is survived by his sons, Paul and his wife, Jan, of St. James, N.Y., Alan and his wife, Cori, of Silver Spring, Md., and Gordon of South Brunswick, N.J.; and four grandchildren.

He was predeceased by his brother, Wallace A. Haeberle.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Lakeville United Methodist Church or the Salisbury Visiting Nurse Association.

A funeral service was held at the United Methodist Church Feb. 13.

Arrangements are under the care of the Newkirk-Palmer Funeral Home in North Canaan.