James "Jim" Haney, Jr.

James “Jim” Haney, Jr. of Grovetown, GA, devoted husband and father, passed away suddenly but peacefully after a long illness, on Tuesday, March 19, 2024. He was preceded in death by his parents, Mrs. Dorothy Gray Haney and Mr. James H. Haney, Sr.; his mother-in-law, Priscilla Webb; sister-in-law, Linda Vrana; and his niece, Alison B. Jones. Surviving family includes his wife of 40 years, Valerie W. Haney; his daughter, Maggie Haney (Jake Brooks); grandson, Fraser Gray Haney; sisters-in-law, Tracy Ellis (Mark Kucenski) and Angelique L. Stephenson (Thomas); brother in-law, Calvin Vrana; along with several nieces and nephews.

Jim was born on October 21,1952, in Augusta GA and lived an active life centered around camping, hiking, reading, and the arts including drawing and photography. As a youth he played little league baseball until a bout of rheumatic fever kept him bedridden for six months. He alleviated his boredom by building model airplanes and reading a set of encyclopedias from A to Z. He graduated from Glenn Hills High School in 1970, where he excelled academically. While his dream was to attend Georgia Tech in Atlanta to become an engineer, chemistry at Augusta College prevented his transfer. He graduated from Augusta College in 1976 with a bachelor’s degree in History and a 45-hour minor in Art. As a college student he worked on both the White Columns yearbook and Bell Ringer newspaper staffs and eventually served as the yearbook editor when he met his future wife, Valerie.

After graduation Jim worked several years as a civil engineering drafter and surveyor for Patchen & Mingledorff Engineering firm of Augusta before becoming a civil drafter and construction photographer for Georgia Power at Plant Vogtle. He left Georgia Power to accept a position with EI DuPonte at The Savannah River Site. After 24 1/2 years of service, he retired from Bechtel/Westinghouse at SRS. He soon took a 5-year temp position at Georgia Iron Works designing slurry pumps for the oils-sands projects in Canada. At the end of the contract, Jim went to work with the Columbia County water department, mapping and updating the county’s water line maps until he retired in March 2023.

When he wasn’t at work, Jim and his wife enjoyed summers traveling around the country and attending national touring performances as season ticket holders at the Fabulous Fox Theater in Atlanta. While his daughter was growing up, he volunteered as score-keeper and team Dad for his daughter’s various year-round athletic teams. One of his proudest moments was celebrating with her when she signed to play college basketball.

Jim was an avid music lover and Jimmy Buffett fan, having attended several concerts over the years. When it came to football, he rooted for Georgia Tech and loved antagonizing his sister-in-law during the annual Georgia-Georgia Tech rivalry.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00pm on Saturday, May 11, 2024, at Our Savior Episcopal Church, 4227 Columbia Road, Martinez GA 30907, with The Very Reverend Alvin B. Crumpton officiating. Jimmy Buffett and beach attire is appropriate for the service. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions to Our Savior Episcopal Church are welcome. Bubbles Up!

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