E. George Hakula
Jun 19th, 2015
E. George Hakula, 86, of East Dennis, died peacefully on June 17th, after a short battle with cancer, surrounded by his family. He was the beloved husband of Shirley Holland Hakula for 56 years, the proud father of Marion Williams (Hamilton) of Atlanta GA, and David Hakula (Juliett) of Mahwah NJ. He was also the devoted grandfather of Emily & Paige Williams, Jack & Elise Hakula.
Born July 28, 1928 in Gardener, MA, to Elsie and Matti Hakula, George grew up in Flushing and Long Island, NY, and raised his family in River Vale, NJ. After spending many wonderful summer vacations in North Eastham, he and his wife, Shirley, retired to Cape Cod in 1986.
Mr. Hakula graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Commerce and Business Administration from the University of Alabama in 1952, and later earned a Master’s of Science in Business Administration from the Columbia University Graduate School of Business in 1956 and became a Certified Public Accountant in 1961, in Louisiana, and later becoming CPA in both NY and Massachusetts. In 1969 he completed the Program of Executive Studies for Senior Executives at the Sloan School of MIT.
After serving in the Korean War, he pursued a career in accounting and auditing, initially with Arthur Anderson and Company, and later with Moore McCormack Lines, before spending almost 30 years as the Corporate General Auditor for General Foods Corporation where he was responsible for audit and corporate security. He was a leader within the Westchester chapter of the AICPA, and a contributing author to many texts on the subject of corporate auditing.
A lifelong skier, runner, and handball aficionado at the Downtown Athletic Club; his interests included traveling the world with Shirley - the love of his life, solving the daily crossword puzzle, stamp collecting, and the creation of fine furniture. An avid reader of detective and historical novels, he was a passionate fan of Captain Aubrey of the Patrick O’Brian fame. Later in life he embraced the Kindle technology to pursue his ever growing reading list. A man with many passions, he was a connoisseur of fine wines, single malt scotch, lobster, and cars of all vintages. After spending several years stationed in Rome, he developed an enduring craving for all things Italian including pesto, expresso, dry red wine of the Montepulciano varietal, and spent many hours devoted to his study of the Italian language.
An enduring advocate of all things Finnish, he built saunas in each of his homes, and maintained a regular sauna ritual to which he credited with his excellent health and demeanor. He remained fluent in Finnish – his first language, throughout his life and was a proud member of the Finnish American Society in Barnstable.
George, a dear friend to many, a beloved husband, father and grandfather will be missed, but remembered always by the many whose lives he touched and enriched.
A visitation will be held on Monday, June 22nd, at 10:00am, followed by a funeral service at 11:00am, in the Hallett Funeral Home, 273 Station Ave, South Yarmouth. Interment will be held in Quivet Cemetery, South Street, East Dennis.
Memorial donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22718, Oklahoma City, OK 73123-1718