Harold Haskew, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, friend, engineer, sports fan, storyteller, and lifelong adventurer, died on June 18, 2026, in Chelsea, Michigan. He was 87.
Harold was born on September 25, 1938, in Fort Pierce, Florida, to Harold Haskew Sr. and Elois Padrick Haskew. His father, a commercial airline pilot, died in a crash when Harold was still a child. Harold and his brother, Tim, were raised in Fort Pierce by their devoted mother, Elois, who later married Holmes Taylor. From an early age, Harold learned resilience, responsibility, and the value of hard work, qualities that would define him throughout his long and remarkable life.
As a teenager, Harold worked at his grandfather’s Chevrolet dealership in Fort Pierce and as a ranch hand on the family ranch. He was also a gifted athlete and standout in high school sports, helping lead his football team to a state championship. Newspaper photographs of a handsome young Harold—known affectionately by family as “Trigger”—remain on display at the Fort Pierce historic museum, preserving that proud chapter of his youth.
On his 18th birthday, Harold’s mother put him on a bus bound for Michigan, where he would attend General Motors Institute and become a mechanical engineer. That bus ride marked the beginning of a lifelong connection to Michigan and an extraordinary career at the General Motors Proving Grounds. Harold became an expert in evaporative emissions, traveling around the world to teach, consult, and help develop ways to reduce emissions and control pollution. Even after retiring from GM, he continued consulting for the rest of his life, sharing the knowledge and practical wisdom he had built over decades.
In 1973, Harold met the love of his life, Suzanne Haskew, née Mann. They married in 1978, blending their families and merging six teenagers into one lively household. Their farmhouse on the outskirts of Milford, Michigan, with just one full bathroom, became the setting for years of laughter, chaos, love, and the gradual launching of their brood into adulthood. Together, Harold and Suzanne traveled widely, exploring the continental United States, Alaska, Nova Scotia, and Europe. They were also generous hosts, welcoming friends and family to countless gatherings.
In 1987, Harold and Suzanne sold the farmhouse to cherished friends Muriel Wittier and Bob Herrick and built their dream home next door: Muckybottom Manor. There, Harold’s love of family, friends, sports, food, and good company flourished. For years, Muckybottom was the place to gather for Tigers games, Lions games, Michigan football, NASCAR, and any other occasion that called for a crowd, a television, and spirited conversation.
Harold was a devoted husband to Suzanne and lovingly cared for her until her death in 2012. He remained steadfast in his love for her and looked forward with faith and peace to joining her in eternal life.
Harold is survived by his daughter Karen Haskew; daughter Susan Crooks and her husband Brian, and their daughter Caitlyn; the children of his late daughter Rebecca Fischer: Andrea and her husband Isaac, Bryan, Cameron, and Douglas and his wife Taylor; daughter Ruste Wilke and her husband Rob, and their children Joel and his wife Rebecca, Joy and her husband Raphael, and Peter and his wife Sarah; Randy Fischer and his wife Donna; and Ray Fischer and his fiancée Petra, and his daughter Lisa and her fiancée Nick. He is also survived by his great-grandchildren Lincoln, Layla, Aleksander, Oliver, Jackie, Teddy, Sam, Felix, Grant, and Nate.
He is survived by his brother Tim Haskew and his wife Barbara of Georgia, and his half-brother Taliaferro Taylor and his wife Joan of Colorado. Harold was preceded in death by his parents; his father, Harold Haskew Sr.; his mother, Elois; his wife Suzanne; his former wife Sandra Haskew of Fort Pierce, Florida; and his daughter Rebecca Fischer.
Harold lived a full and beautiful life, one marked by perseverance, accomplishment, humor, hospitality, deep loyalty, and enduring love. He leaves behind a family shaped by his strength and stories, friends warmed by his generosity, and a legacy that reaches from Florida ranchland to Michigan roads, from family gatherings at Muckybottom Manor to cleaner air around the world.
A celebration of Harold’s life will be held on Sunday, July 26, 2026. For more information about the event, please contact his daughter Ruste Wilke at ruste.wilke@gmail.com.
Gifts in his memory may be made to the Suzanne Haskew Arts Center in Milford. https://www.milfordshac.org/donate
Arrangements by Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home, Chelsea.
