Scholarship honors alumnus' love for life

Scholarship honors alumnus' love for life
Scholarship honors alumnus' love for life

Jill Leahy, Jay Haning’s sister, describes her brother as a passionate farmer, a dedicated employee with an unmatched work ethic, a wise agribusiness man, a loyal, funny and generous friend; and a lover of life, laughter, and all things John Deere. A College of ACES endowed scholarship established by Jay’s family and friends honors him for all of these traits.

In 1999, Jay graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in Crop Sciences. On campus, he was involved in Alpha Gamma Sigma and the Orange Crush. Jay loved and was grateful for the opportunities that were given to him and relationships built while at the University of Illinois. Like his father Duane, also an alum of the College of ACES, he cherished the friendships he made with his fraternity brothers, members of other agriculture fraternities, and his professors. While in school, he managed his own hay baling business to help him pay for college. Jay also had a second job working on Ken Dahlenberg’s farm in Mansfield, Ill. He was inspired by Ken and his work ethic and farming practices, returning to use many of these lessons.

After college, Jay started his career with John Deere Ottumwa Works in Ottumwa, Ia. In this position, he learned to troubleshoot hay and forage equipment and was a part of technical training for dealership staff. After a few years with Ottumwa Works, Jay was promoted to Territory Customer Support Manager for John Deere’s largest sales territories in the world. He was able to travel all over the world in this position and everywhere he went he returned with another friendship made. Jay never knew a stranger.

“Jay valued the dealer and the customer with the highest regard,” Jill stated. “He loved his job every day! He never really quit until a few days before his death.”

Jay was passionate about everything John Deere green, farming, and tractor pulling. According to Jill, Jay was very particular about the yard; even at a young age. “He was mowing the family yard on a John Deere riding mower at age 3. He stood up, stomped on the clutch to get it in gear, and then continued to drive,” Jill shared. “A mailman once came to our door to tell mom he was mowing just in case she didn’t know, but she did.”

 He raised pigs and sheep and was an active 4-H and FFA member. Later in life, he started tractor pulling. Jay and his older brother, Brad, loved to buy and repair antique tractors and then use them to pull in local competitions. He also pulled Super Prostock tractors along with a family friend. “Tractor pulling helped him to live during his diagnosis because it was an outlet for positive energy and friendship,” Jill notes.

Jay passed away November 16, 2017 after a long battle with cancer. His family and friends wanted to create a legacy for Jay that would continue to impact agriculture and future farmers.

“It is a way that our family can share Jay’s strong work ethic, passion for farming, and love of life with young people,” Duane says.

Jay was always encouraging young people to visit the U of I and join Greek life. He had to interview people while at John Deere and he was impressed with those who were involved in clubs on campus.

Jay’s family hopes the scholarship assists someone who has similar attributes to that of Jay’s - hard working, enjoys life, and active in extracurricular activities while in college. Robbie Hines, the first recipient of the Jay Haning Scholarship, represents the aspects of this scholarship very well. Majoring in Crop Sciences, he is active in extracurricular activities and within his fraternity, Alpha Gamma Rho. He has worked during school to help pay for expenses and has received many internship opportunities within agriculture related fields during his college career.Image removed.

“This scholarship means a lot to me because it helps facilitate my ability to pursue the best education that I can,” Robbie says. “I am studying in the same field and Jay was local to my area. It is an honor to be able to receive this award from his family and friends.”

The biggest thing family and friends of Jay’s want future recipients of this scholarship to know is that life is a blessing and should be lived with lots of laughter and love. Jay was a strong believer in a great education, but also having work experience and common sense to help you succeed in life, Jill says. No matter how hard you work in life, a person always needs to find time to laugh and invest in someone else’s life. Jay had a few philosophies he lived by and the family believes these best describe him and the legacy he left with everyone he met. They are as follows:

1) Work hard for what you want.

2) It’s not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you lived.

3) Never quit when it’s quitting time. Quit when the job is done.

4) Firm handshakes are genuine.

5) Relationships and reputations lead you through life.

6) Judge your wealth by your friends and not your wallet.

7) Spoken words cannot be retrieved.

8) Lead by example, not words.

9) Be happy and proud of the decisions you make today so you don’t pay for it tomorrow.

10) Time is all you are given, don’t waste it!