Dean Hauck

Dean Margaret Hauck, beloved owner of Michigan News Agency, passed away peacefully in her home on February 8, 2025. She was born on March 14, 1939, in Baguio, Philippines to Clarence and Jean (Lally) Heinrich.

Dean's early childhood was spent in the Philippines before her family was placed in Santo Tomas Internment Camp in Manila. She, her mother and her sister were intended to face the fate of a Japanese firing squad but were liberated by American troops with moments to spare. During her time at Santo Tomas, she was comforted by books and writing while molding a unique perspective on the world around her.

Dean's mother got the girls back to America after their release from Santo Tomas and they lived briefly in California before relocating to Kalamazoo in 1947. It was here that Jean married Vincent "Pops" Malmstrom, the owner of the Michigan News Agency.

Dean was allowed to help at the shop by sweeping the floors and placing inserts into newspapers. Though her wage was little, her true allowance was an endless supply of books, magazines and newspapers that she could borrow and escape to in her free time. She attended Kalamazoo Central High School and went right to work at the newsstand as soon as the school day ended.

Not only did her hard work at Michigan News Agency instill a strong work ethic, it also molded a spot in her heart for the community of Kalamazoo, serving residents and working with other local businesses. She knew that when you give to your community, your community gives back, and this is just one of many reasons why a printed news shop like Michigan News Agency survived in Downtown Kalamazoo during this wave of modern digital news.

Her ability to view the world around her from such a young age in the Philippines allowed her to do the same in Kalamazoo. She helped anyone that needed it on the streets outside the shop, she cared for pedestrians as cars would ignorantly whiz by. She was known in this community as someone who gave and cared.

Dean was an advocate for the growing homeless population in Kalamazoo. She saw each of those people sleeping on park benches as they truly were; people. She saw that they needed help and she would do what she could to have them recognized in the community as a group that needed help, not a group that was a second thought or a burden to the local government.

Above all, Dean's greatest accomplishment was being a champion for printed word. She believed that newspapers allowed the people to read the stories and learn what interests them, not what their social media throws in their face.

Aside from Dean's legacy at Michigan news Agency, she was also a devoted mother who loved her daughters Margaret and Sarah immensely. She instilled in her daughters the drive to think for themselves and to never stop learning.

Dean is survived by her daughters Margaret Hauck and Sarah Smith. She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard Hauck, parents Jean and Vincent Malmstrom, sister Val and brother Fred.

Memorial services for Dean will be held at The Michigan News. Friday, May 2, 5:00-8:30 pm.

In honor of Dean and to keep her passionate memory alive, read, fill your heart and spirit with knowledge, care for one another and stand up for what you believe in.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Memory of Dean Hauck can be made to Kalamazoo Public Library.

Please visit Dean's memorial page to share condolences and memories with her family at https://www.Langelands.com