John Desmond Hanley

John Desmond Hanley

July 26, 1954- September 9, 2011

May you rest in peace.

John passed on Sept. 9, 2011, at Woodland Hospice, Mount Pleasant, following a long battle with illness. He was born on July 26, 1954, in Midland County, son of Mary Elizabeth (Murphy) Hanley and the late Leo Desmond Hanley.

One of John's favorite passages from the Word can be found in Jeremiah 18:6 "Can I not do to you as this Potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the Potter's hand, so you are in Mine."

He has returned to the loving God, who molded him for so long into the wonderful father, son, husband, grandfather, brother and friend that we have known him to be.

John attended Midland schools, served in the U.S. Navy, worked as a brick mason and then worked as a minister in Concord, Calif. John's service to the poor and struggling led him to Haiti, where from 1988-1999 he worked with the Haitian people, building and repairing churches, schools and orphanages and ministering to the people in the mountains above Port Au Prince. He then spent two more years of service in the missionary field in Belize.

John is survived by his mother, Mary Elizabeth Hanley of Sanford. John was blessed, and most proud of his daughter, Keela Beth (Shawn) Hassell, and three wonderful grandchildren, Jake, Kierra, and Kristina of Lincoln, Calif. John is also survived by his brother, Pat (Keena) Hanley of Midland; sisters, Colleen Marie Kiley, and Molly Elizabeth Yamada of Sanford; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews and their families. He was preceded in death by his father, Leo Desmond Hanley; and sister, Kathleen Ann Krause.

John cherished both new and lifelong friends and their support, especially Roger, Jimbo, Willard, Gary, Tim, Greg, Brownie and Tom (Carla) Dowling.

We invite family and friends to attend a celebration of John's life "on the Potter's wheel" led by Pastor Gib Giblin at Midland Evangelical Free Church on Jefferson, behind the Midland Mall, today, with visitation beginning at 1 p.m., followed by a service at 2 p.m. (use the south entrance). John has truly been molded into the image of Life patterned by his Lord and Savior and leaves a legacy behind to generations of unconditional love and kindness.

Those planning an expression of sympathy might consider Haiti Relief via Evangelical Free Churches of America, Woodland Hospice of Mt. Pleasant, or Mid Michigan Hospice or Pinecrest Farms of Midland, all of which provided John with loving and professional care. Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Ware Smith Woolever Funeral Directors.