Jon G. Havern Sr.

Jon G. Havern Sr. of Mentor and recently of Avon Lake, passed away Friday May 2, 2014 the very day of the installation of Cleveland’s new Playhouse Square Chandelier and just three months after his letter promoting the drive to install it appeared in the Plain Dealer. He was 77. Raised in Ebensburg, PA, Jon was the husband of the late M. Carolyn, (Buck) Havern, of Carolltown, PA and the son of John and Lydia Fay (Rudolph) Havern. Jon served in the US Navy during the Korean War as a radioman on a destroyer, which often afforded him onshore restaurant excursions and stays at hotels with command staff, a real treat for the young man from a small town in coal country. A resident of the Cleveland area since 1960, Jon was employed in finance and accounting for 25 years at TRW, Inc. and developed a successful real estate career after that, earning the nickname Condo King. Concurrently Jon worked with gusto to care for his wife Carolyn during the course of her 30 year decline with MS. The disease rendered Carolyn unable to walk the last 25 years of her life, or to do much of anything for herself the last 10. Jon’s unwavering devotion to Carolyn’s often difficult care was admired and cited by those who knew of their circumstances as the ultimate example of commitment in a marriage, and evidence of God’s work on earth. A basketball player, when Jon moved his young family to Pinegate in Mentor he instead took quickly to the tennis courts there, organizing tournaments then joining the Mentor Heisley Racquet Club where his tennis talent morphed into that of a formidable racquetball presence. The parties Jon and his large circle of Pinegate friends devised and threw were epic, including steer roasts, clambakes, even scavenger hunts leading to a mystery van ride to a mystery party location with mystery guests, providing the inspiration for a currently popular Facebook group named “I was a ‘70’s Pinegate Kid”. Filled with humor, wisdom, and compassion, Jon had many friends from all walks of life and always had a friendly smile or one liner to share. Returning from a Little League meeting somewhat bewildered one night after being absent from a prior meeting Jon told his kids, “never miss a meeting or they’ll vote you President”. Thus began his run as Commissioner of Mentor Youth Baseball. Jon’s physical, mental, and spiritual toughness would end up serving him again when he faced the life changing challenges of losing a spouse. He rose to take the wheel and drive on to fit as much as he could into what would be his remaining years. And drive he did. He bought a kelly green 1960 Volkswagen Beetle, put on a green fedora with matching bow tie and drove it in the St. Patrick’s Day parade in downtown Cleveland a couple of months ago. Jon loved traveling out West to see his brother Tim and being the former Oklahoma State University lineman’s guest at football games there, proudly returning home with the latest OSU sweatshirts that he would then gamely wear out to places around Cleveland to watch his other favorite football team, Ohio State University, his thrifty self quite pleased and amused with the double duty sportswear: OSU/OSU. Jon was lately studying subjects relative to eastern European history and religions in preparation for a trip to the family’s homelands, developed a profound interest in and admiration of Judaism, and recently took the Bible under study. His curiosity was insatiable. Jon volunteered his accounting expertise to WVIZ at their Playhouse Square Ideacenter and shared his love of math as a volunteer tutor for inner city kids at Waterman Lake Elementary where he created games to make it fun for them. A longtime country music fan, in his later years Jon also began enjoying live theatre and Cleveland Orchestra events with his friend Carol Dellaria, and recently learned to enjoy opera with his friend John Delmonte. Jon leaves daughter Pam, her husband Terry McCormack and their children Donovan and Caroline of Raynham, MA, son Greig , his wife Sabrina Havern and their children Jack and Grace of Katy, TX. Brother Tim and his wife Amanda Havern of El Reno, OK, Aunt Sue Schoch of Warren, OH, a brother-in-law, 4 other sisters-in-law, 13 nieces and nephews, 17 grandnephews, 2 grandnieces, and cousins all across the country. Visitation will be from 3-5 PM Saturday June 7 at Brunner Sanden Deitrick Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 8466 Mentor Ave., Mentor, OH 44060, concluding with a short service at 5:00pm. In lieu of flowers donations in Jon’s memory can be made to the Ohio Buckeye Chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society 6155 Rockside Road, Suite 202, Independence, OH 44131, or online at http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/jonhavern. Offer condolences at www.brunners.com

Jon G. Havern Sr.

December 22, 1936 - May 2, 2014