Joseph Douglas Haines

Joseph Douglas Haines was a modest man, quiet and observant in his ways. He was trustworthy and traditional in his approach to his life and in his relationships. He was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew him. He was also a man who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything he undertook. Realistic about life, he was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

      Joseph was born on September 26, 1933 at Oshawa General Hospital in Oshawa, Ontario. His parents were George and Greta Haines and he was raised in Oshawa. He was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve him well throughout his life.

      Growing up in the Haines household was a bit different than most homes. There were good times to be had, but just as often there was a fair share of challenges as well. However, Joseph was able to work through the usual family problems when they appeared, and he was the one person in the family who seemed able to keep the stress at bay. Joseph was raised with one sibling, his sister, Margie. Joseph was constantly involved in activities with his sister. Joseph and his sister may have had the typical rivalries while growing up but Joseph was always consistently loyal to his family.

      As a young child, Joseph was never someone who needed to be the center of attention. He wasn’t pushy and never forced his way into games or other activities. Joseph developed a variety of interests, though, and the things he enjoyed doing he did well. He was always curious about the world around him and was often eager to explore it. In his spare time he liked to hunt and fish. However, what Joseph enjoyed most was simply playing and spending time with his many friends.

      Always considered to be a solid friend, Joseph was fortunate to have numerous acquaintances and several very close friends during his life. Since he disliked making generalizations about people and preferred to draw his own conclusions based on direct observation, Joseph was able to see beneath the surface of relationships and became a true friend to those who knew him. He was committed to his friends and valued the trust he placed in them. It was not uncommon for Joseph to go beyond the call of duty for others, and friends frequently sought him out for advice because he had a knack for coming up with practical solutions to any type of dilemma. While growing up, some of his best friends were the Sheffields, Stuarts and Mepsteads.

      On November 25, 1955 Joseph exchanged wedding vows with Luella Christina Pogson in Oshawa, Ontario. Compassionate and devoted to Luella, Joseph held endearing, traditional values about marriage and family life. He took the responsibility of marriage to heart, giving it his total commitment. He was a source of strength to Luella and using his gifts at nurturing one-on-one relationships, he worked hard to make his new family happy.

      Joseph brought the same traditional values in his marriage to bear on how he raised his children. He was a good parent, always firm yet fair in his dealings. He would always listen carefully and think things through before he acted, even when it was an adverse situation. Joseph was also a walking schedule, always seeming to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. Joseph was blessed with one child, Alan. They were also blessed with four grandchildren Kyle, Holly, Tyler and Kendra, and one great grandchild Dorian.

      Joseph greatly enjoyed what he did for a living. He was a hard worker who expected the same in return from his co-workers. He was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. Joseph enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, Joseph was excellent at meeting deadlines. He was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. His primary occupation was in Material Control. He was employed for 42 years with General Motors. Joseph worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

      Joseph liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into his hobbies, where he was very methodical in how he organized his activities and categorized things. Since he enjoyed his private time, Joseph always tried to allocate a specific time for working on his hobbies. His favourite pursuits were hunting and fishing. Joseph was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others.

      Joseph was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. His family was rounded out by his many dogs.

      When Joseph’s retirement finally arrived in 1990, he was well prepared. He always trusted and placed value in what was logical and in the things he knew, so he was very confident in planning his retirement. He had begun the process early and had his retirement all laid out well in advance. In retirement, he found new pleasure in hunting and fishing. Even in retirement, Joseph continued to stay in touch with his old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. He was active in his new community and felt fulfilled.

      Joseph Douglas Haines passed away on October 20, 2011 at Lakeridge Health in Oshawa, Ontario. Joseph fought a brave battle against cancer. He is survived by his son Alan, his grandchildren and his great grandchild. Services were held at Oshawa Funeral Home. Joseph was laid to rest in Thornton Cemetery in Oshawa, Ontario.

      Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Joseph Douglas Haines. He was committed to living the life of a good man who was both practical and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. He committed himself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around him. Most of all, he was committed to those he knew and loved.

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HAINES, Joseph Douglas

(Retired 42 year employee of General Motors Canada)

Peacefully with family by his side after an 8 year courageous battle with cancer on Thursday, October 20th, 2011, in his 79th year. Predeceased by his beloved wife Luella. Loving father of Alan (Arlene). Cherished Papa of Kyle, Holly, Tyler, Kendra, and great grandfather of Dorian. Dear brother of Margie Haines. Fondly remembered by all his family and friends. Visitation will be held at OSHAWA FUNERAL HOME, 847 King Street West (905-721-1234) on Wednesday, October 26th from 2 – 4 and 7 – 9 p.m. Funeral Service will be held in the Chapel on Thursday, October 27th, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. Interment to follow at Thornton Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations made to the Canadian Cancer Society would be appreciated.