Obituary of John C. Haight

John Clifton Haight, 77, passed away peacefully at his home in Delhi, with his family by his side.

Born on July 30, 1946 in Oneonta to Donald and Kathleen (Milk) Haight, John was the eldest of four children.  He grew up in Davenport and attended Charlotte Valley Central School where he would meet Lois Hebbard, his wife of 55 years, her sisters and many of the people who became his lifelong friends and family members. In high school, John excelled in athletics, especially basketball and baseball; few could beat John in a game of ping pong.   

After graduating from Charlotte Valley in 1964, John enlisted in the Air Force and served during the Vietnam War, deployed initially in the Philippines and then in Da Nang, Vietnam during the Tet Offensive.  While in Vietnam, John served as Staff Sergeant of a special operating unit and earned the Bronze Star Medal for Meritorious Service in 1968.  A true patriot, he was extremely proud of his service to his country and maintained close friendships with those he served with throughout his life.    

After the war, John returned to New York and graduated from SUNY Delhi and SUNY Oneonta, and later earned his MBA from Empire State University in 1995.  He worked at SUNY Delhi for 26 years and retired as Executive Director of Development and the College Foundation.  After retiring from SUNY, John became the Executive Director of St. James Manor in Oneonta.

John was extremely devoted to his family, friends, and community.  He loved watching his sons and grandsons play in sports contests, no matter the distance, and was especially proud of his hat collection representing the various teams.  John was always willing to throw his shoulder into a cause for his community, and for many years he volunteered on the boards of the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce, ERPF Catskill Cultural Center, and most recently served as Chairman of the Board of St. James Manor.

In his free time, John always had a project.  Having an innate sense of carpentry and design, he was extremely handy and enjoyed working on projects to enhance the family homes and properties.  He had a remarkable ability to figure out a solution to just about any problem, and his most prized possession was his 1953 Willys, a restoration project that spanned many years and countless conversations.  John loved to tell stories about his childhood growing up in Davenport working at the farms of his Grandfather, John Milk, in Rock Valley, Lois’s father, Herbert Hebbard, and neighbor Bob Chambers.

John is survived by his wife Lois, son Seth, daughter-in-law Erin J., three grandsons Alexander, Owen, and Charles Haight, sisters Donna Valentine and Melanie (Douglas) Wolk, and brother Eric (Claudia) Haight. He also leaves behind many special nephews and nieces: Marc (Laurie) Adair, Susie (Rick) Spagnuolo, Amy Valentine, Mark (Jennifer) Valentine, Michael (Katie) Cody, Christopher Cody, Chelsea Haight (Scott Eskew), Austin Wolk, Lucas Haight and Sarah Haight. John was predeceased by his son Collin in 2007.

The Haight Family would like to express the highest level of gratitude to the Delhi community and beyond for the tremendous outpouring of support for John over the past months.  Donations in memory of John can be made to the Collin E. Haight Foundation, PO Box 3, Delhi, NY.

Please visit www.macarthurfh.com to share a condolence with the Haight Family

To watch a recording of John's graveside services and military honors follow the link below.

JOHN HAIGHT SERVICES