John H. De Haan

Passed away on December 18, 2024 at the age of 83. John was born to Pearl Friedah and William De Haan on November 14, 1941 at his Aunt Louise's house in Owego, NY.
John is predeceased by his 2 wife, Patricia McCoy, his brother, Bill, and sister Pearl. John is survived by his three sons by his first wife: John Mark (Sue), Rick (Cathy), and Regan (Heather), his grandchildren: Joel, Dallas, Cheyne, Ryker, Ethan, & Riley, Great Grandchildren: Noah and Nicole. John is also survived by his loving sister, Helen De Haan, of Newark Valley, NY.
John had a rough early boyhood as he and his siblings were separated into various and frequently changing foster homes. One of his more fond memories, however, was with foster father, Ben Brown, who was a kind-hearted, but firm dairy farmer who still milked his small herd by hand and used manual farm implements and plow horses. Ben would call him "Johnny Jump up".
John's more notable employment history was as a Plastics Injection Molder. He later worked for and became a Department Supervisor at Sergeant & Greenleaf, lock and safe company in Rochester, NY. He then started a career at Rochester Institute of Technology University, first as a locksmith. He finished his degree program, also at R.I.T. and later he became Facilities Manager, and eventually as Construction Manager, where he was the General Contractor of several major building projects at the university.
John studied ancient history and philosophy and had written much unpublished thoughts and notes on the subjects. He was an avid reader and had a deep thirst for knowledge, as he pondered the universe and nature. He was a fan of Capt. Daniel Shays, a distinguished Revolutionary War figure, who later lead a group of recession-stressed farmers in a tax revolt, known as Shays' Rebellion, against excessively high taxation imposed by aristocrats in Massachusetts.
John enjoyed visiting historical landmarks, early forts and cemeteries with historical significance. He found excitement in exploring wooded trails, wanting to see what was around the next bend. Early favorite hiking trails were the Adirondack's highest mountain peaks, enjoyed by with his sons. Later, he still explored and challenged himself with milder trails. He also enriched his life with an occasional sailing trip or an annual weekend retreat with his friends. He always kept himself physically busy.
Three of John's favorite songs were 'Yesterday When I Was Young', Roy Clark's version, 'Green Green Grass of Home' by Tom Jones, and 'El Paso' by Marty Robins.
John had positively influenced many lives and will be fondly remembered.