John Curtis Mahaffey

John Mahaffey, December 13, 1944 - July 15, 2024

John Mahaffey was the first (and if you asked him, best) of four children born to Dorothy and Harold Mahaffey in a small Nebraska town towards the end of WWII. He grew up wrestling and playing football for Sidney High School, from which he magically graduated after skipping the last couple weeks of every single school year for crop planting.

He served in the United States Air Force as a translator, and reluctantly fought in the conflict in Vietnam. John excelled at many things, including getting married. Staying married was a strength developed in middle age, however, and he was nearly fifty when he married his 5th and final wife, Wilma, who has been by his side for over 30 years.

John's reputation as a trouble maker was well-earned and included childhood events like opening a BB gun for Christmas one year and proceeding to shoot every single decoration on the tree, crying all the while as he knew this first, wonderful BB gun experience would also be his last. Also notable was the time he and his friend caught an entire pasture on fire trying to fry ants with a magnifying glass. Lest you wonder if he grew out of it, at one point in the early 1960s, a Deputy in Baltimore drove him to the city line and instructed him never to cross it and come back. He lived 30 more years and as far as we know, he never returned to Baltimore.

The end of the 1980s brought John, his wife and two small daughters to Alaska, where he would work for that same Federal Government he liked to agitate, and eventually retire. John spent nearly 20 years under the midnight sun, fishing in the summer and grilling on the back deck even in the depths of winter. He showed his love through food, and no one who came to his house ever left hungry. His son-in-law Roger once remarked that he should weigh himself before and after a visit as John was known to make more food than his guests could eat.

John spent his life raising his two daughters, and in his later years was able to live near his oldest daughter Rachel and her three kids, Quinn, Tula and Harper, which brought him so much joy. He spent time at softball games, making dinner, and truly not understanding why algebra was so hard as he tried to relay the simplicity of the quadratic equation. He was enthusiastic over his children's accomplishments, and liked to talk about what they were doing to anyone who would listen.

He was easily the funniest person any of us knew. If ever you were feeling down, John knew exactly how to lift you up. He relished his role as grandpa, and was grateful for an entire generation of family members who hadn't heard his jokes yet. He loved making his grandkids laugh, and ensuring they had at least 50 lbs of chocolate for breakfast each visit.

John is survived by his wife of 30 years, Wilma Mahaffey, his two daughters, Rachel Haley and Erin Mahaffey, son-in-law Roger Wortman, grandchildren Quinn, Tula, Harper, Augie, Ruby and Wolfie, sisters Pat Deal (Fred Deal) and Mary Mahaffey and brother Scott Mahaffey.