John Haugabrook, Jr.

Obituary For John Haugabrook, Jr.

John Thomas Haugabrook, Jr. May 13, 1948 - September 2, 2019

Warner Robins, GA- John Thomas Haugabrook, Jr. died Monday, September 2, 2019. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, September 9, 2019, in the chapel of Hutchings Funeral Home; 536 New Street; Macon, GA. Burial will follow at the Georgia Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Milledgeville, GA.

John Thomas Haugabrook, Jr. was born May 13, 1948 to the parentage of the late Mrs. Luella Killen Haugabook and Mr. John Thomas Haugabook. When John was about 5 years old, his mother relocated the family briefly to New York state and then to South Bay, Florida, which is where John spent the majority of his childhood and adolescence. He was educated in New York and in South Bay/Belle Glade, Florida. John ultimately completed his secondary education through college as part of his military service.

In 1967, John enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he served until his retirement in 1987 with the rank of Gunnery Sergeant. During his career with the Marines, John served a 13-month combat tour of duty in Vietnam. He often recounted over the years how, during his transport to Vietnam, he prayed that God would spare his life and return him safely home at the end of his tour. He often recalled how he was immediately overwhelmed with a sense that God had heard him and promised his survival, and how, in John's 13th month of Vietnam duty, he suddenly became ill and had to be evacuated from the field shortly before an enemy action that killed his entire unit, including the soldier who had been sent in to replace him. John always considered the sequence of events that saved his life as miraculous divine intervention in answer to his prayer for protection.

During his subsequent Marine Corps career, John distinguished himself as a championship boxer who was under consideration for the U.S. Olympic team and as a commended Corps recruiter. After retirement, John lived a life of entrepreneurship, variously serving as small business owner or business consultant in the areas of daycare, entertainment, construction, information technology, and accounting. He had a passion for assisting small businesses in start-up/establishment procedures and in helping those businesses to secure certifications for which they were eligible and to expand their customer bases.

John, who was a committed Christian, also was a staunch philanthropist at heart. He never forgot the financial hardships his mother heroically faced during his childhood, and honored her memory by helping others. Along with his support of established charities, John sought out everyday people in need of help. He tried to keep petty cash in his car so he could give money to those seeking assistance on the streets. He has been known to arrange for transportation, temporary housing, or bus tickets for persons he met in this way, and on occasion even gave away his old vehicles. He was especially concerned about homeless veterans, and he worked to help them access services to which they were entitled. John also enjoyed submitting editorial letters expressing his strong opinions regarding politics and veterans' issues to the local newspaper. He was also a member of the local Montford Pointe Marines Association chapter.

John was preceded in death by his parents and by 6 siblings, Minnie M. Pryor, Mary Louise Carrington Gray, Linda Cephus, Lawrence Johnson, Tracy Haugabook, and Benjamin Haugabook. Left to cherish his memory include: his wife of 16 years, Sandra Thomas Haugabrook; 2 children, Johnny (Joyce) Haugabook and Michelle Matias; 3 stepchildren, Yolande (Fabion) Vicks, Isaac (Tymika) Gibson, and Daniel Gibson; 4 brothers, John E. (Tolley) Haugabook, Michael (Janice) Haugabook, Trent (Wanda) Johnson, and Thomas Haugabook; four sisters, Joyce M. Cook-Bey, Margaret (Erick) Sanders , Lovetta Honegan, Laverne (Michael) Topps; 6 grandchildren, Quayshaun, Daniel, Addonnis, Kyra, Newman, and Onyx; 8 step-grandchildren, a host of other relatives and friends.

Hutchings Service.