Sonia Helen Hagen

Sonia Helen Hagen (Laetz), 88, of Caseville went home to be with the Lord on Saturday, July 24, 2021 with her family by her side.
Sonia was born in Bay City, Michigan on December 2, 1932 the only child of Martha Helen Laetz (Wessollek) of Berlin, Germany and Frederick George Laetz of Essexville, Michigan.
As a child, Sonia studied piano and went on to private school at Marywood Academy in Grand Rapids where she studied further becoming a concert pianist. While her father wished for her to go on to conservatory and become professional, Sonia dreamt as a child of becoming a nurse, thus she graduated to attend Mercy College of Detroit where she obtained her Bachelor of Science – Nursing and went on to begin her career as an RN at University Hospital, Ann Arbor where she both taught and worked in pediatrics. Years later, after Sonia married Wallace William Hagen of Ubly at Immanuel Lutheran Church Bay City on December 1, 1962, she went on to work at the former Huron Memorial Hospital Bad Axe as Director of Nurses and subsequently originated the Health Careers Program. At one point in her career Sonia also assisted in writing the state board exam for nurses. She concluded her career in nursing when she retired in 1998 from Huron Behavioral Health.
Possessing a lifelong passion for the performing arts from her days as a concert pianist to working on college stage productions to appearing in the feature film “Niagara” and many on stage performances in the Alabama Jubilee, Sonia continued her love of theatre for many years as a board member and performer with Port Austin Community Players. Sonia served as President during the theatre expansion project and is fondly remembered as the face of the box office while holding the office of House Manager.
Another one of her loves was travel which she started at an early age traveling roundtrip to Germany on the great ocean liner SS Europa at the age of two. After college she embarked on a grand tour of Europe traveling roundtrip on the magnificent SS United States and then continued to travel throughout her life to destinations in Canada, the Caribbean and the US.
A wonderful and kind wife and mother who always made a beautiful home and life for her family, Sonia was an avid reader, knitter and loved to be at the beach including winters on an island near Charleston, South Carolina.
Surviving is her husband Wallace of Caseville, daughter Leslie of South Carolina, daughter Lisa of Caseville and her beloved little dog Zoey. Sonia was preceded in death by her parents.
A memorial service will be 11:00am Thursday, July 29th at Cross Lutheran Church with Rev. Glenn Sokolowski officiating. Visitation will be an hour before the service in church. Champagne Funeral Chapel is handling the arrangements.