John Haight

HAIGHT John O'Leary II. Life brings us numerous relationships. Some we are born into and some we develop along the way. Sometimes we are lucky enough to have both in the same person. The many of us who have been fortunate enough to be born into the family of and/or become the friend of John O'Leary Haight II are devastated by the loss of his larger-than-life presence on this earth. John, also known as Leary or Hoppy, left us on December 7, 2016. John fed his soul through appreciation of the outdoors. He exuberantly embraced his many opportunities to enjoy the natural beauty of his home in Morehead, and was most comfortable running or biking on a trail, kayaking on a river or stream, or climbing a soaring cliff. His wonderful laughter and joy in these activities will remain with all of us. As much as John loved the outdoors, his love of his family exceeded that and filled his kind and generous heart. His greatest love was his son, Nodin Ray Haight. Nodin was the light in his dad's heart and soul from the moment he made an appearance. John loved Nodin with all of his being and worked hard at sharing his love of the natural world with him and being the dad he felt Nodin deserved. His pride, excitement and love as he watched Nodin's progress through life was clearly visible to all. Equally obvious to all, was his love for his wife, April Reefer Haight. John's love and admiration for April was evident in how they built their life together and how he enjoyed life with her and talked about her to others. John shared a special love with his brother, Dale Patrick Haight, who left us in 2010, and his sister, Lajuanda Haight-Maybriar. His fierce protective nature, their shared wit and laughter, and the many implicit connections they shared made them inseparable souls. John was a loving son. He spent many hours helping his mom, drinking coffee and discussing life. John loved his brothers-in-law, Jon Maybriar and Brad Reefer. He spent time with each of them building the bonds of friendship and family. John also had several cousins, aunts and uncles who filled his childhood and adult life with love and great memories that brought many hours of reminiscence and laughter. John had a tender heart for animals and was a dog and cat lover all of his life. He had many cherished pets over the years and his latest buddy was Buster the basset hound. The love between them was pure joy. A friend describes John as a triathlete and adventure racer, a fierce competitor, a small businessman, a bicycle shop owner, a meticulous mechanic and a risk-taking entrepreneur. Then goes further to say John's fierce competitive nature was balanced by being a thoughtful, caring, affectionate and loving husband and father. Another friend defines John's legacy as one of stoic resolve in physical challenge, humble wisdom shared mostly in being an example of knowledge and superhuman ability, and teaching with utmost patience and resolve to see others enjoy the natural world. John was the son of Phyllis Haight of Morehead and John O'Leary Haight (Pat) of Lexington. In addition to his parents, April, Nodin, Lajuanda, Jon and Brad, John is survived by his much loved nephew and great-nephew, Evan Flaugher and Xavier Griffith, his aunts, uncles and cousins, and his in-laws Kay and Don Blevins of Lexington, and Harry and Cindy Reefer of Apollo, Pennsylvania. He is also survived by a host of great friends who shared John's adventures and fueled his great stories. We all will struggle to go forward without him. John chose cremation and a memorial gathering was held at Cave Run Lake and the home of his friends, Trent and Connie Hamilton, on December 10. Memorial donations can be made to one of the causes that were very special to John: Triplett Valley Trail (Morehead, KY), Red River Gorge Climbing Coalition, or The Access Fund.