Gary Ray Haney, 75, died peacefully on September 27th, 2025, at Elkhart General Hospital.
A celebration of Gary's life will take place at Goshen City Church of the Brethren on Saturday, October 11, at 10:00 a.m. Attendees are encouraged to wear Chicago Cubs, Notre Dame, IU, or colorful clothing in honor of Gary. In lieu of flowers, donations to Brethren Disaster Relief, Goshen City Church of the Brethren, or the Manchester University Fund are encouraged.
Gary was born at Goshen Hospital on May 21st, 1950, to Robert and Marilyn Haney.
He and his siblings had a lively childhood in East Goshen, regaling younger generations with stories of sledding adventures, hijinks along the Pumpkin Vine railroad,
and neighborhood sports games at the local park. He attended Goshen High School, graduating in 1968, and graduated from Manchester College in 1972.
He worked in the advertising department at the Elkhart Truth and for Goshen Implement, selling farm equipment.
He became a building inspector for the City of Goshen in 1993. His fastidious and tenacious personality was well-suited for this job. Due to his vast knowledge of building codes, he was often requested to lead building inspection classes throughout the state of Indiana.
He became the longest-serving building inspector for the City of Goshen, retiring after 22 years in 2015.
Gary was devoted to his family. He and his wife, Cinda (Stroman), were married for 50 years. He was an attentive father to his son Eric and daughter Kara, and a loving uncle to a fantastic bunch of nieces and nephews.
He was central to organizing backyard games of wiffle ball, croquet, and badminton, and enjoyed nothing more than being with extended family, passing the time laughing and sharing stories. Later on in his life, he brought this same zeal to his great-nieces, nephews, and niblings. The joys of his life were his granddaughters, Morgan and Addyson Haney, and he took exceptional pride in being a grandfather.
Gary's faith was central to his life. He was a lifelong member of Goshen City Church of the Brethren. Gary lived his faith through his acts of service to the church and to the larger community.
Gary was a church usher for over 30 years, served on the church board, and volunteered his time to run the Wednesday evening children's program and the Sunday children's church service. Gary often represented the church as a delegate at the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference.
Gary was a regular blood donor, volunteered his time with Habitat for Humanity, and went on 15 service trips with Brethren Disaster Relief, helping to rebuild communities in the U.S. that were impacted by natural disasters.
Gary was a sports fanatic. His yearly schedule revolved around Notre Dame football, IU basketball, and Chicago Cubs games. He was a constant presence at Goshen High School sporting events. He volunteered at the Goshen Relays for over 40 years and was chosen to be the Honorary Referee in his final volunteer year.
When not watching sports events, he and Cinda enjoyed traveling, especially visiting Kara in Seattle and exploring Washington State. Gary was predeceased by his sister, Linda Miller; his parents, Robert and Marilyn; and his father-in-law, Vern Stroman.
Gary is survived by his wife Cinda, son Eric Haney, daughter-in-law Courtney Haney (Lindop), his grandchildren Morgan Haney and Addyson Haney;
his daughter Kara Haney and daughter-in-law Kate Wertin; his brother Steve Haney and sister-in-law Ginny Haney (Lawson), his brother David Haney and brother-in-law Kelly Cheek, and many nephews, nieces, and other extended family members.
Goshen City Church of the Brethren
Visits: 10
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the
Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors