John Henry Hafner

John Henry Hafner Daphne, AL     John Henry Hafner was born July 26, 1938 in Mobile, Alabama to Catherine McGovern Hafner and Henry Hafner. He moved to Daphne, Alabama in 1948. John attended McGill Institute High School and graduated from Spring Hill College in 1960. He married Rhoda Reynolds Heile of Kentucky, and they were married 42 years until her death in July of 2002.     John received his Master of Arts degree in American and English Literatures from Marquette University. He received his Ph.D. in American and English Literatures from the University of Wisconsin with an emphasis on William Faulkner.      John had been commissioned in the U.S. Army through ROTC and went on active duty as a First Lieutenant in the Adjutant General Corps. First stationed at Ft. Dix, New Jersey, he was later transferred to teach literature at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point for three years where he was promoted to captain.     After completing his military experiences, John accepted a teaching position at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. Several years later, John joined the faculty at Spring Hill College as chairman of the English Department. During his forty years of teaching at Spring Hill College, John received three U.S. Government Fulbright awards to teach American literature and American Studies: one year to teach at the University of Athens in Athens, Greece: two years to teach at the University of Indonesia in Jakarta, Indonesia; and one year to teach at De La Salle University in Manila, The Philippines.     In 2009 John was awarded the Eugene Current-Garcia Award as Alabama's Distinguished Literary Scholar at the Alabama Writers Symposium in Monroeville. Active in all aspects of the humanities, John served as president of Mobile Opera, supported the Mobile Symphony, Mobile Chamber Music Society, the Mobile Museum of Art and various theatrical endeavors.     He will be greatly missed by his former students and his many friends for his sense of humor and joie de vivre.     John is survived by his wife, Ann Booker Bridgeman Hafner, his daughters Reynolds Hafner Hofheins (Peter McCabe) of Melbourne, Australia; Alexandria Hafner of New Orleans, Louisiana; grandchildren Rhoda Heile Clark (David), Francis Harold Hofheins Ill, both of Melbourne; greatgrandchildren John Harrison Clark and Chloe Mackenzie Clark, his sisters, Judith Ann Hafner and Mary Carolyn Hafner; his wife's children, Laura Curtright Jones, William Darrell Curtright (Dolly); grandchildren, Emory Jackson Jones Ill (Brittany) Anabel Lee Jones and Mary Binion Curtright.     A mass of Christian burial will be held at St. Joseph's Chapel at Spring Hill College on Wednesday, October 9th at 10 a.m., with a reception to follow at Stewartfield. A private interment to follow at Belforest Catholic Cemetery.     Memorial contributions may be made to the Spring Hill College Library or scholarship fund or to a favorite Mobile arts organization.         ARRANGEMENTS BY WOLFE-BAYVIEW FUNERAL HOMES & CREMATORY, INC. 27409 US HWY 98 DAPHNE, AL (251)625-2900 www.wolfefuneralhomes.com