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August 24, 2017
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Sunday, August 27, 2017 from 5-7 PM.
A Funeral Service will be held immediately following visitation and begin in the funeral home at 7 PM. Private interment will take place at George Washington Memorial Park, Paramus.
Charles Michael Hankinson, of Hawthorne, passed away peacefully on Thursday, August 24, 2017. He was 101.
In this present age of record national budget deficits, it’s hard to fathom that there was a time when our U.S. government could actually be running a budget surplus, but in 1916, the year Charles was born, that’s the way the government was run. Born in Hoboken, he later moved to Jersey City.
Charles’ first job out of high school would turn out to be the only job he ever needed. He started at the bottom, in the mail room, sorting mail at Sterling Drug Corporation on Park Ave. in New York City when he was just nineteen years old. During the next forty years he ascended from that mail room, working by day and going to college at night, to the ultimate title of Accounting Supervisor. To realize that accomplishment, he took business classes at Rutgers University but eventually earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Pace University in 1967.
While his experience of working at Sterling Drug brought many blessings for Charles, no blessing was greater than meeting a beautiful lady with the bluest eyes and the sweetest smile in the world named Elizabeth “Betty” Binder, who also worked for the company. The two of them fell in love and decided to marry on Saturday, March 5, 1938. Betty’s name should have been on Charles’ bachelor’s degree too. She did all she could to support him in his pursuit of a degree, including typing most of his assignments on a manual typewriter.
After their wedding, Charles and Betty lived in a couple of different places in Jersey City, including a house on Webster Street. They soon welcomed a little baby girl which they named Carole, and a few years later, in 1951, this family of three moved again – this time to 196 New Jersey Ave., in Bergenfield. In 1961, Charles had the honor of walking his “little girl” down the aisle, giving her hand in marriage to Donald Kuder. Two years later, Charles and Betty were packing their bags once more, this time moving to Westwood where they called home together for 43 years.
Charles’ life was one of frugality and hard work. He was a strong believer in the merits of education but, since he loved to learn, this was never viewed as a burden. Even after college, he was always looking for the next thing to read – a New York Times best seller and certainly a daily look at various newspapers including the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. He also loved to walk, so walking became a part of his daily routine. In his commute to work, he’d walk from his house to the bus stop in Westwood, then after taking the bus to the Port Authority Terminal in New York City, he walked from there to his office on Park Ave – rain or shine. At the end of the workday, he’d repeat this routine to get back home. Betty would have supper ready and after the dishes were done, the two of them would enjoy walks together downtown, combining this with grocery shopping.
When retirement came for Charles in 1975, he and Betty began some years of great enjoyment. While their life together continued to be defined by certain routines – a walk together downtown in the morning to the grocery store, and another walk in the afternoon uptown to do all the other errands, they also got the chance to do a lot of traveling. Never flying to their destinations they traveled exclusively by bus. They especially enjoyed national parks including trips out west to see Yellowstone, Sequoia, and Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon. They also took trips to Branson, Missouri to see all the musical shows and occasionally they visited Florida. Charlie and Betty made many friends on these adventures and enjoyed seeing them again from year-to-year. Together with their daughter Carole and son-in-law Don, they visited Gettysburg, Williamsburg and Letchworth State Park, as well as more local destinations to Bear Mountain, Lake George, Amish country in Lancaster, and, because Charlie was a bit of a baseball fan, to Cooperstown, NY.
In-between travels, Charlie and Betty were a great support to Carole and Don, helping them assemble lamps and lamp shades in their lighting company and especially taking care of their children, Michael, and the twins - Richard and Laurie, so Carole could go to work. They adored their grandchildren and established many memorable traditions with them. The love was certainly mutual!
Charles and Betty enjoyed 68 years in a wonderful, loving marriage until Betty’s passing in 2006. Suffering from Alzheimer’s in her final years, Betty remained Charles’ true love! He faithfully cared for her on his own for as long as he could at home, then visited her every day to be by her side. His devotion for his sweetheart in those difficult years was a lasting demonstration of his integrity for all of his family to witness. After Betty’s passing, Charles remained in Westwood for a short time, then moved to Siena Village in Wayne before moving to Van Dyk Park Place in Hawthorne four years ago. For his 100th birthday, Van Dyk’s threw him a big party which was celebrated by all of his family, as well as the residents and staff.
While we mourn his passing, we, Charles’ family, are abundantly thankful for the privilege of sharing in his life and benefitting from his genuine love, integrity, values, and, of course, his amazingly dry sense of humor.
Charles was predeceased by his beloved wife of 68 years - Elizabeth (nee Binder) in 2006. He is survived by his loving daughter Carole and husband Donald Kuder of Wayne; three dear grandchildren: Michael and wife Heidi Kuder of Paramus, Richard and wife Ruth Kuder of Wayne, and Laurie and husband Richard Kuipers of North Haledon; ten cherished great-grandchildren: Madeleine and Brigitte Kuder; Rachel and husband David Thompson, Andrew, Abigail, Samuel and Daniel Kuder; Elisabeth, Anneliese, and Benjamin Kuipers; and one adored great-great grandson: Alexander Thompson.
He was also predeceased by his two sisters: Lillian and Grace; and four brothers: Howard, Alan, Kenneth, and Lyle Hankinson.
In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Charles’ name are asked to consider the Children’s Tumor Foundation, 120 Wall Street, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10005-3904, or at www.ctf.org
If you would like to send a private condolence directly to the family use this condolence section.
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Sunday, August 27, 2017 from 5-7 PM.
A Funeral Service will be held immediately following visitation and begin in the funeral home at 7 PM. Private interment will take place at George Washington Memorial Park, Paramus.
August 24, 2017
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Sunday, August 27, 2017 from 5-7 PM.
A Funeral Service will be held immediately following visitation and begin in the funeral home at 7 PM. Private interment will take place at George Washington Memorial Park, Paramus.
Charles Michael Hankinson, of Hawthorne, passed away peacefully on Thursday, August 24, 2017. He was 101.
In this present age of record national budget deficits, it’s hard to fathom that there was a time when our U.S. government could actually be running a budget surplus, but in 1916, the year Charles was born, that’s the way the government was run. Born in Hoboken, he later moved to Jersey City.
Charles’ first job out of high school would turn out to be the only job he ever needed. He started at the bottom, in the mail room, sorting mail at Sterling Drug Corporation on Park Ave. in New York City when he was just nineteen years old. During the next forty years he ascended from that mail room, working by day and going to college at night, to the ultimate title of Accounting Supervisor. To realize that accomplishment, he took business classes at Rutgers University but eventually earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Pace University in 1967.
While his experience of working at Sterling Drug brought many blessings for Charles, no blessing was greater than meeting a beautiful lady with the bluest eyes and the sweetest smile in the world named Elizabeth “Betty” Binder, who also worked for the company. The two of them fell in love and decided to marry on Saturday, March 5, 1938. Betty’s name should have been on Charles’ bachelor’s degree too. She did all she could to support him in his pursuit of a degree, including typing most of his assignments on a manual typewriter.
After their wedding, Charles and Betty lived in a couple of different places in Jersey City, including a house on Webster Street. They soon welcomed a little baby girl which they named Carole, and a few years later, in 1951, this family of three moved again – this time to 196 New Jersey Ave., in Bergenfield. In 1961, Charles had the honor of walking his “little girl” down the aisle, giving her hand in marriage to Donald Kuder. Two years later, Charles and Betty were packing their bags once more, this time moving to Westwood where they called home together for 43 years.
Charles’ life was one of frugality and hard work. He was a strong believer in the merits of education but, since he loved to learn, this was never viewed as a burden. Even after college, he was always looking for the next thing to read – a New York Times best seller and certainly a daily look at various newspapers including the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. He also loved to walk, so walking became a part of his daily routine. In his commute to work, he’d walk from his house to the bus stop in Westwood, then after taking the bus to the Port Authority Terminal in New York City, he walked from there to his office on Park Ave – rain or shine. At the end of the workday, he’d repeat this routine to get back home. Betty would have supper ready and after the dishes were done, the two of them would enjoy walks together downtown, combining this with grocery shopping.
When retirement came for Charles in 1975, he and Betty began some years of great enjoyment. While their life together continued to be defined by certain routines – a walk together downtown in the morning to the grocery store, and another walk in the afternoon uptown to do all the other errands, they also got the chance to do a lot of traveling. Never flying to their destinations they traveled exclusively by bus. They especially enjoyed national parks including trips out west to see Yellowstone, Sequoia, and Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon. They also took trips to Branson, Missouri to see all the musical shows and occasionally they visited Florida. Charlie and Betty made many friends on these adventures and enjoyed seeing them again from year-to-year. Together with their daughter Carole and son-in-law Don, they visited Gettysburg, Williamsburg and Letchworth State Park, as well as more local destinations to Bear Mountain, Lake George, Amish country in Lancaster, and, because Charlie was a bit of a baseball fan, to Cooperstown, NY.
In-between travels, Charlie and Betty were a great support to Carole and Don, helping them assemble lamps and lamp shades in their lighting company and especially taking care of their children, Michael, and the twins - Richard and Laurie, so Carole could go to work. They adored their grandchildren and established many memorable traditions with them. The love was certainly mutual!
Charles and Betty enjoyed 68 years in a wonderful, loving marriage until Betty’s passing in 2006. Suffering from Alzheimer’s in her final years, Betty remained Charles’ true love! He faithfully cared for her on his own for as long as he could at home, then visited her every day to be by her side. His devotion for his sweetheart in those difficult years was a lasting demonstration of his integrity for all of his family to witness. After Betty’s passing, Charles remained in Westwood for a short time, then moved to Siena Village in Wayne before moving to Van Dyk Park Place in Hawthorne four years ago. For his 100th birthday, Van Dyk’s threw him a big party which was celebrated by all of his family, as well as the residents and staff.
While we mourn his passing, we, Charles’ family, are abundantly thankful for the privilege of sharing in his life and benefitting from his genuine love, integrity, values, and, of course, his amazingly dry sense of humor.
Charles was predeceased by his beloved wife of 68 years - Elizabeth (nee Binder) in 2006. He is survived by his loving daughter Carole and husband Donald Kuder of Wayne; three dear grandchildren: Michael and wife Heidi Kuder of Paramus, Richard and wife Ruth Kuder of Wayne, and Laurie and husband Richard Kuipers of North Haledon; ten cherished great-grandchildren: Madeleine and Brigitte Kuder; Rachel and husband David Thompson, Andrew, Abigail, Samuel and Daniel Kuder; Elisabeth, Anneliese, and Benjamin Kuipers; and one adored great-great grandson: Alexander Thompson.
He was also predeceased by his two sisters: Lillian and Grace; and four brothers: Howard, Alan, Kenneth, and Lyle Hankinson.
In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Charles’ name are asked to consider the Children’s Tumor Foundation, 120 Wall Street, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10005-3904, or at www.ctf.org
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