//cdn.lifestorynet.com/obituaries/019/120083/120083-life-panel.jpg

Al Haney

April 14, 1923 - December 29, 2017
Kendallville, IN

//cdn.lifestorynet.com/obituaries/019/120083/120083-01.jpg

Share



 

Life Story / Obituary


//cdn.lifestorynet.com/obituaries/019/120083/120083-02.jpg//cdn.lifestorynet.com/obituaries/019/120083/120083-03.jpg//cdn.lifestorynet.com/obituaries/019/120083/120083-04.jpg//cdn.lifestorynet.com/obituaries/019/120083/120083-05.jpg//cdn.lifestorynet.com/fh/download-memory-folder.jpg
Print

An honest, hardworking, and gracious man, Allen Haney was an extraordinary man to know and love. He was always willing to help others in ways both great and small, and a friend of Al’s was a friend for life. Deeply devoted to his family, he took his role as the provider of his family to heart, and he was filled with unspeakable joy to witness his family tree blossom to include numerous branches of loved ones who made him so very proud. Life will never be the same without Al here, but he leaves behind a timeless legacy that his loves ones will proudly carry on in his footsteps.

It was great to be an American during the prosperous days of the Roaring Twenties. Innovation was leading the way to new technologies like radios, washing machines, and cars that were mass produced on assembly lines. Amidst this exciting time was a time of great joy in the lives of Banner Pierce and Cecil Pauline (Pooler) Haney as they were pleased to announce the birth of the baby boy they named Allen Elmer on April 14, 1923, in Albion, Indiana. He was one of six children as he was joined in his family by his siblings, Hannah, Margaret Ann, Roy, Robert, and Bertha. To support their family, Al’s father owned a body shop.

In many ways Al was a young boy of his generation. He enjoyed things like riding horses, boxing, dancing, rollerskating, and iceskating. It has been said that Al was a bit of a prankster when he was growing up, and he enjoyed the companionship of his dog, Suzie. As a teen he was very interested in the circus and acrobatics during the 1930s and 1940s, and since he was smaller in size he thought he could be the top acrobat. Al had aspirations of joining local circus groups in Kendallville, The Bedfords and The Whitson Brothers, but his strict father wouldn’t allow him to join. Al attended local schools and went on to graduate from Kendallville High School in 1942.

Shortly after graduating, Al entered into the United States Navy. He served as an electrician mate third class from 1942 to 1945 aboard the USS Parks Destroyer #165. While serving in the Pacific Theater, Al was involved in several battles. After he retuned, he and his father established their glass shop, Haney’s Glass Shop in Kendallville and Auburn. Al continued to work there until retiring in 1987.

New and exciting changes were in store for Al when he met the woman of his dreams. Her name was Virginia Mae Mankowski, and they met at the Noble County Fair in 1942. They were together ever since. They began dating, and it didn’t take them long to fall deeply in love. With a desire to spend the rest of their lives together, Al and Virginia were married on December 27, 1944, in Garrett, Indiana. Together they raised their two children, Mike and Tina, and they were also blessed with the birth of their daughter, Paula, who died in 1955.

There was never anything of greater significance in Al’s life than his family. He forever viewed his wedding day and the days that each of his children were born as the best days of his life. Some of their favorite family memories were made at the cottage on Big Long Lake from 1956 to 2000. Al was a good man who valued honesty and loyalty, and he also taught his children invaluable lessons such as to respect their elders and those in authority as well as to be polite. Through the example he set, Al showed his family that you have to work hard for what you want. He also made sure his children knew that if they didn’t have anything nice to say, they better not say anything at all. No matter what storms came, Al aways told his family that things will work out, and he was also famous for telling his loved ones, “I love you, and don’t you forget it!” Even though life kept him busy, Al always put his family first and couldn’t have loved them more. He looked forward to Christmas every year, especially as his family grew over the years, one of his favorite things to do was to dance in the kitchen with his wife after a night out with friends.

Throughout his life Al was someone who kept busy. He loved traveling, and his travels took him all over including to Bora Bora, which he loved so much he had always hoped to return. Al also wanted to take his family on an Alaskan cruise, but this was something that never came to be. He enjoyed spending the winters at the condo at Fort Myers, Florida, and family vacations in Florida with family and Kendallville friends were also among some of his favorite times. For years he enjoyed traveling to Michigan as well. An outdoor lover, Al loved golfing, fishing, his horses and harness racing, and he frequently practiced with his horses, Judy and Hazel, on their track at the farm. With a heart for animals, Al loved his cats, Zoey and Ziggy, and he also regularly fed their barn cats. He liked feeding the birds and watching the birds from the kitchen window. Within his community Al was a member of Faith United Methodist Church, F&A Masonic Lodge 276, Mizpah Shrine, and a life member V.F.W. Post 2749 and American Legion Post 86. He was a past member of the Kendallville Rotary Club and Kiwanis. When he was able, Al enjoyed gambling and going to the casino to play the slot machines and craps, and he also liked playing cards. Al’s favorite author was James Patterson, his favorite movie was Home Alone, and when it came to watching television he enjoyed watching All in the Family and as well as regularly watching FOX News. Additionally, Al enjoyed big band music.

There was nothing that was more near and dear to the heart of Allen Haney than his loved ones. He could be determined and even strong-willed at times, but his love and genuine concern for others was easy to see. With a lite that spanned times of war and times of peace, times of plenty and times of want, Al will never be forgotten.

Allen Elmer Haney, of Kendallville, died Friday, December 29, 2017, at Parkview Noble Hospital. Al’s family includes his wife, Virginia Haney of Kendallville; son, Mike (Judy) Haney of Kendallville; daughter, Tina Armstrong of Kendallville; grandson, Scott (Brooke) Haney of Kendallville; granddaughter, Marci (Brad) Leslie of Lafayette; seven great-grandchildren: Tristin Haney, Haley Haney, Reagan Haney, Remington Haney, Ethan Daugherty, Michah Daugherty, and Rylee Piggott; brother, Roy Haney of Muncie; brother, Robert (Judy) Haney of Witmer Lake, Wolcottville; and sister, Bertha Kelley of Kendallville. Al was preceded in death by his daughter, Paula Haney in 1955; grandson, Marc Haney in 1991; and his sisters, Hannah Kilgore and Margaret Ann McGinnis. Visitation will be Tuesday, January 2, 2018, from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. at Hite Funeral Home in Kendallville with Masonic lodge services at 7:00 p.m. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, January 3, 2018, at 11:00 a.m. at Hite Funeral Home with Tom Novy officiating. Burial with military honors will take place at Lake View Cemetery in Kendallville. Pallbearers will be Scott Haney, Tristin Haney, Ethan Daugherty, Tom Shellenbarger, Paul Minar, and Bruce Schemerhorn. Memorial donations may be made to Faith United Methodist Church, V.F.W. Children’s Home, or Shriner’s Hospital. Send a condolence online at hitefuneralhome.comArrangements entrusted to Hite Funeral Home of Kendallville.

//cdn.lifestorynet.com/obituaries/019/120083/120083-02.jpg//cdn.lifestorynet.com/obituaries/019/120083/120083-03.jpg//cdn.lifestorynet.com/obituaries/019/120083/120083-04.jpg//cdn.lifestorynet.com/obituaries/019/120083/120083-05.jpg//cdn.lifestorynet.com/fh/download-memory-folder.jpg