FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED FUNERAL HOMES SINCE 1881
| Erich Frederick Haegele |
| March 17, 1934 - January 29, 2026 |
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Public Events and LocationsMemorial Service - Monday, February 9, 2026, 9:00 AM at Spring House Estates, Lower Gwynedd |
ContactsFuneral Home - Wetzel and Son Funeral Home - 501 Easton Road, Willow Grove, PA 19090 - 215-659-0911 - Map |
| Clergy - Calvary Presbyterian Church - 405 North Easton Road, Willow Grove, PA 19090 - 215-659-0554 - Map |
| Place - Spring House Estates - 728 Norristown Road, Lower Gwynedd, PA 19002 - 215-628-8110 - Map |
| Donation - Calvary Presbyterian Church - Building Fund - 405 North Easton Road, Willow Grove, PA 19090 - 215-659-0554 - Map |
The following obituary was composed by Erich’s family:
Erich Frederick Haegele went home to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Thursday, January 29, 2026 at age 91. He was the beloved husband of sixty-seven years to Kay, a cherished father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.
Erich was born on March 17, 1934 on the second floor of his family’s bakery in the Mayfair section of Philadelphia. His parents, August and Helen (nee Gildein) Haegele, were German immigrants who opened Haegele’s Bakery on the corner of Barnett and Erdrick streets in 1930, in the throes of the Depression. Because of their industriousness, affability, and good judgment, the bakery survived the Depression to become a treasured fixture in its rowhome neighborhood. The bakery continues operating today on the same corner, now its ninety-sixth year and under the proprietorship of fourth-generation family members.
Erich had a happy childhood centered around his family’s business and their church, the German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tacony (later known as St. Petri). He resided with his parents and older brother, Richard, in living quarters directly above the bakeshop. Downstairs, his father baked through the night, while his mother directed the storefront during the day. He often said that he never came home to an empty house. Sundays were devoted to church and fellowship with family and friends. On Sunday mornings, his father drove block by block to gather neighborhood children to take them to Sunday school. Sunday afternoons were spent at the Cannstatter Volksfest Verein (a German club), or the “bungalow,” a cottage on the banks of the Neshaminy Creek in Langhorne that his parents purchased as a retreat.
A gifted raconteur with an understated sense of humor, Erich often told amusing stories of the quirky characters that enlivened his youth, from the roving musician who organized a rag-tag band for local kids (Erich played the trombone), to the friend whose trademark mantra “in the grooooove” was accompanied by a circular hand gesture that Erich enjoyed replicating well into old age.
Tow-headed and extremely bright, Erich was dubbed the “family genius” and skipped a grade at Ethan Allen Elementary School, where he later served as student body president. After his brother expressed an interest in baking, Erich chose a different vocational path, enrolling in the electrical program at the Jules E. Mastbaum Area Vocational Technical School. As a member of Mastbaum’s varsity basketball team, he played in the same league as Philadelphia legend Wilt Chamberlain and once participated in a game with a broken leg.
Although Erich briefly attended college, he was a “worker” rather than an academic at heart. At age 16, he got his first job delivering televisions for Sears. In 1952, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served in active duty on the U.S.S. Philippine Sea during the Korean War. As a proud veteran, he traveled to Washington, D.C. in 1995 for the dedication of the Korean War Veterans Memorial.
Shortly after his Navy discharge, Erich’s father died prematurely of a heart attack. His mother assumed responsibility for running the business in partnership with his brother, who was by then a trained baker. Erich remained involved by working in the bakeshop on Friday nights, making repairs, and helping with the annual painting and Christmas decorating.
In the meantime, Erich began what turned out to be his 34-year-long career with the Bell Telephone Company. He started as a lineman climbing poles and rose to managerial positions in city precincts and at Bell’s headquarters on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. During his early years at the company, he met Jack Muth, who became his lifelong friend.
Bell employed many young people in the postwar years and organized social events to entertain them. At a Bell-sponsored dance, Erich met Kay Huntington, then employed as a service representative.They married on October 4,1958 and moved into the Barnett Street fixer-upper Erich had purchased earlier and renovated with the help of neighbors. Their son Mark was born in 1960 and daughter Sharon in 1962. Erich was installing phones in a Philadelphia prison during Sharon’s birth and afterward liked to joke that he was “in prison when Sharon was born.”
In 1971, the family moved to a split-level house in Richboro, where they lived for the next 45 years. Together with Kay, Erich provided a stable and loving home for his children that allowed them to flourish. He was a peacemaker by nature, always modeling humility, loyalty, integrity, and good cheer.
Erich was known far and wide for his exceptional handyman skills. Drawing on his sharp mind and infinite patience, he could fix virtually anything. Sharing these skills with family and friends became his personal ministry. He faithfully volunteered every Tuesday with the handyman group at Calvary Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Willow Grove, where he and Kay were long-time members.
After retiring from Bell, Erich enjoyed traveling, washing his cars, and tending his vegetable garden. He and Kay hosted family beach weeks in Stone Harbor and took their grandchildren to Reading Phillies games, Goschenhoppen Folk Festivals, and historic reenactments. In 2016, the couple moved to Spring House Estates, where Erich liked to tinker in the workshop.
Erich never knew a day without Jesus as his Lord and Savior. His family rejoices in his long and productive life and in the assurance that he is now with Christ, which is “better by far” (Philippians 1:23). He is survived by his wife, Kay, son Mark (Becky), daughter Sharon Skeel (David), grandchildren Amber Lloyd (Buddy), Joanna Yeiter (John), Carter Skeel (Kelsey), Stephen Skeel (Victoria), Mathias Haegele (Catherine), and seven great-grandchildren.
Relatives and friends were invited to his memorial service Monday, February 9, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. at Spring House Estates, 728 Norristown Road, Lower Gwynedd, PA, 19002. The service was held in the second-floor auditorium, with light refreshments following. Interment at the Washington Crossing National Cemetery will take place at a later date. Religious services were conducted by Rev. Rick Tyson, former pastor of Calvary Presbyterian Church, 405 North Easton Road, Willow Grove, PA 19090.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Erich Haegele’s name may be made to the “Calvary Presbyterian Church Building Fund,” Calvary Presbyterian Church, 405 Easton Road, Willow Grove, PA, 19090.
www.wetzelandson.com
Erich Frederick Haegele went home to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Thursday, January 29, 2026 at age 91. He was the beloved husband of sixty-seven years to Kay, a cherished father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.
Erich was born on March 17, 1934 on the second floor of his family’s bakery in the Mayfair section of Philadelphia. His parents, August and Helen (nee Gildein) Haegele, were German immigrants who opened Haegele’s Bakery on the corner of Barnett and Erdrick streets in 1930, in the throes of the Depression. Because of their industriousness, affability, and good judgment, the bakery survived the Depression to become a treasured fixture in its rowhome neighborhood. The bakery continues operating today on the same corner, now its ninety-sixth year and under the proprietorship of fourth-generation family members.
Erich had a happy childhood centered around his family’s business and their church, the German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tacony (later known as St. Petri). He resided with his parents and older brother, Richard, in living quarters directly above the bakeshop. Downstairs, his father baked through the night, while his mother directed the storefront during the day. He often said that he never came home to an empty house. Sundays were devoted to church and fellowship with family and friends. On Sunday mornings, his father drove block by block to gather neighborhood children to take them to Sunday school. Sunday afternoons were spent at the Cannstatter Volksfest Verein (a German club), or the “bungalow,” a cottage on the banks of the Neshaminy Creek in Langhorne that his parents purchased as a retreat.
A gifted raconteur with an understated sense of humor, Erich often told amusing stories of the quirky characters that enlivened his youth, from the roving musician who organized a rag-tag band for local kids (Erich played the trombone), to the friend whose trademark mantra “in the grooooove” was accompanied by a circular hand gesture that Erich enjoyed replicating well into old age.
Tow-headed and extremely bright, Erich was dubbed the “family genius” and skipped a grade at Ethan Allen Elementary School, where he later served as student body president. After his brother expressed an interest in baking, Erich chose a different vocational path, enrolling in the electrical program at the Jules E. Mastbaum Area Vocational Technical School. As a member of Mastbaum’s varsity basketball team, he played in the same league as Philadelphia legend Wilt Chamberlain and once participated in a game with a broken leg.
Although Erich briefly attended college, he was a “worker” rather than an academic at heart. At age 16, he got his first job delivering televisions for Sears. In 1952, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served in active duty on the U.S.S. Philippine Sea during the Korean War. As a proud veteran, he traveled to Washington, D.C. in 1995 for the dedication of the Korean War Veterans Memorial.
Shortly after his Navy discharge, Erich’s father died prematurely of a heart attack. His mother assumed responsibility for running the business in partnership with his brother, who was by then a trained baker. Erich remained involved by working in the bakeshop on Friday nights, making repairs, and helping with the annual painting and Christmas decorating.
In the meantime, Erich began what turned out to be his 34-year-long career with the Bell Telephone Company. He started as a lineman climbing poles and rose to managerial positions in city precincts and at Bell’s headquarters on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. During his early years at the company, he met Jack Muth, who became his lifelong friend.
Bell employed many young people in the postwar years and organized social events to entertain them. At a Bell-sponsored dance, Erich met Kay Huntington, then employed as a service representative.They married on October 4,1958 and moved into the Barnett Street fixer-upper Erich had purchased earlier and renovated with the help of neighbors. Their son Mark was born in 1960 and daughter Sharon in 1962. Erich was installing phones in a Philadelphia prison during Sharon’s birth and afterward liked to joke that he was “in prison when Sharon was born.”
In 1971, the family moved to a split-level house in Richboro, where they lived for the next 45 years. Together with Kay, Erich provided a stable and loving home for his children that allowed them to flourish. He was a peacemaker by nature, always modeling humility, loyalty, integrity, and good cheer.
Erich was known far and wide for his exceptional handyman skills. Drawing on his sharp mind and infinite patience, he could fix virtually anything. Sharing these skills with family and friends became his personal ministry. He faithfully volunteered every Tuesday with the handyman group at Calvary Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Willow Grove, where he and Kay were long-time members.
After retiring from Bell, Erich enjoyed traveling, washing his cars, and tending his vegetable garden. He and Kay hosted family beach weeks in Stone Harbor and took their grandchildren to Reading Phillies games, Goschenhoppen Folk Festivals, and historic reenactments. In 2016, the couple moved to Spring House Estates, where Erich liked to tinker in the workshop.
Erich never knew a day without Jesus as his Lord and Savior. His family rejoices in his long and productive life and in the assurance that he is now with Christ, which is “better by far” (Philippians 1:23). He is survived by his wife, Kay, son Mark (Becky), daughter Sharon Skeel (David), grandchildren Amber Lloyd (Buddy), Joanna Yeiter (John), Carter Skeel (Kelsey), Stephen Skeel (Victoria), Mathias Haegele (Catherine), and seven great-grandchildren.
Relatives and friends were invited to his memorial service Monday, February 9, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. at Spring House Estates, 728 Norristown Road, Lower Gwynedd, PA, 19002. The service was held in the second-floor auditorium, with light refreshments following. Interment at the Washington Crossing National Cemetery will take place at a later date. Religious services were conducted by Rev. Rick Tyson, former pastor of Calvary Presbyterian Church, 405 North Easton Road, Willow Grove, PA 19090.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Erich Haegele’s name may be made to the “Calvary Presbyterian Church Building Fund,” Calvary Presbyterian Church, 405 Easton Road, Willow Grove, PA, 19090.
www.wetzelandson.com
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