Jean Haney

A memorial service for Jean W. Haney will be held at Lowe Funeral Home and Crematory on Sunday, March 25, 2018 at 10:00 AM. Friends and family are warmly invited to attend.
Jean W. Haney passed away peacefully on Wednesday, February 21, 2018 at 11:40 pm PST at home in Pomona, CA with her son and daughter-in-law by her side. She was born in Rockingham County, NC, the first child of Robert L. Wall and Theo Martin Wall on February 21, 1926.
Jean attended Burlington High School, Alamance Technical Institute and graduated from Elon College, NC where she taught one semester of Computer Operations without any computers. She worked for ten years at Kayser-Roth and retired after she discovered the two male employees she was training were getting paid more than she was.
Jean married Albert at the Justice of the Peace on March 31, 1945 and they traveled as a military family until he retired in 1974. Albert said "I can get a job in New York City." Jean responded "bye, I'm going home." So they moved back to Burlington. Albert died in 1998 and Jean lived alone until 2016.
Jean loved traveling. While stationed in France she never got to see the Eiffel Tower. Years later she returned to Paris with her eldest daughter and two of her granddaughters to see the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the Mona Lisa (which was much smaller than she had imagined). While in Morocco for the second time, Jean took flying lessons in a Cessna 140 which was not very common for a woman to do at that time. Jean was only a few hours short of getting her pilots license.
While living In Colorado Springs, Jean single handedly added two bedrooms and a bathroom to the family home. With some coaxing she did allow her kids to lay linoleum tiles on the floor. Her one travel regret was that she never got to see the Acropolis. With each move Jean would get her kids in the car and go driving without a map. By the time she was done she knew where everything was and the best way to get there.
Jean was most proud of her children and grandchildren. One daughter and two sons earned college degrees. Three granddaughters and two grandsons also earned college degrees. Education was an important part of Jean's life.
Jean was very intelligent, creative and loved teaching. She was a Girl Scout leader, a Cub Scout Den Mother and a member of the Boy Scout Council. She was very creative and taught many people how to sew, quilt, knit, crochet and make baskets. She caned chairs, made dye from walnut shells for her basket reed and molded, glazed and fired her own ceramics. Jean was a master craftsman and could make anything out of lumber, including building a playhouse in the backyard. In 1999, at the young age of 73, she assisted her two older sons in the construction of a wood deck on the back of one of their homes. Some of her handy work received awards in county fairs in California, South Dakota and North Carolina.
Jean is survived by her children: E. Susan Haney of San Francisco, CA; sons Albert H. Haney, Jr. (Yvette) of Pomona, CA; Robert L. Haney (Lenore) of Kissimmee, FL; and daughter-in-law Cindy Haney of Erwin, NC. She is also survived by her grandchildren: Kristina Tollefson; Julia Becker; Emily HaneyCarron; J. Brian Haney; J. Kyle Haney; Desiree Haney; great-grandchildren, many nephews, nieces, cousins; and her brothers John T. Wall of Greensboro, NC; James A. Wall (Carolyn) of Trinity, NC; W. David Wall (Debby) of Elon, NC; and her best friend Rita Chavis.
Jean was pre-deceased by her husband CMSgt Albert H. Haney USAF, son Cmdr James A. Haney USN Res., daughter Anita M. Haney, her brother Robert M.Wall and her sister Mary W. Simmons.
Jean kept a list of the places she lived in her pocket book and always enjoyed sharing this with everyone she met: Rockingham County, NC 1926-1928; Winston-Salem, NC 1928-1929; Wilkesboro, NC 1929-1931; Rockingham County, NC 1931-1934; Burlington, NC Friday, Oct 13, 1934-1945; West Palm Beach, FL 1945 (June-Sept); Hickory, NC 1945 (Sept-Dec); Burlington, NC 1945- 1946 (Dec-Nov); Elon College, NC 1946-1948 (AHH graduated from Elon College, 1948); Burlington, NC 1948 (June-Sept); West Palm Beach, FL 1948- 1949 (AHH reenlisted); McDill AFB, Tampa, FL 1949-1950; Burlington, NC, St. Augustine, FL, Jacksonville, FL 1950-1951 (while AHH was in Saudi Arabia); McDill AFB, Tampa, FL 1951; Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, AL 1951-1952 (Susan born here); Winston-Salem, then Greensboro, NC 1952-1953 (Aug-Mar); Sidi Slimane AFB, Morocco 1953-1955 (lived in Ifrane and Port Lyautey, where we lived when Jim was born at Nouasseur AFB); Andrews AFB, District Heights, MD 1955-1956 (AHH, Jr born in DC at Bolling AFB); Chateauroux AFB, France 1956-1958 (Anita born here); Burlington, NC 1958 (June-Dec. Bob born prematurely here); McClellan AFB, North Highlands, CA 1958-1959; Sidi Slimane AFB, Morocco 1959-1961 (villa in Kenitra, then base housing); Ent AFB, Colorado Springs, CO 1961-May 1962; McClellan AFB, North Highlands, CA 1962-1964 (base housing); Burlington, NC 1964-1965 (13 months while AHH was in Viet Nam); Westover AFB, Chicopee Falls, MA 1965-1967; Hickham AFB, Honolulu, Hawaii 1967-1971; Seymour-Johnson AFB, Goldsboro, NC 1971-1974 (AHH retired 6/30/1974); Burlington, NC 1974-Oct 12, 2017 (graduated Elon College 1977); Pomona, CA Friday, Oct 13, 2017-2018.
Jean was an amazing woman who was many years ahead of her time. She was a wonderful mom and grandmother. She touched the lives of many and was loved by all. She will be greatly missed

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