Christopher Allan Haynes

CHRISTOPHER ALLAN HAYNES

MY LOVING HUSBAND

11/23/1949 - 8/15/2023

USN Lieutenant Christopher Allan Haynes, a proud, decorated, retired U.S. Navy veteran, passed away at the age of 73 on August 15, 2023, after a long, hard-fought battle with cancer. Chris is predeceased by his parents Elton & Faith. Born November 23, 1949 in Darby PA, Chris spent much of his childhood in Media, a peaceful suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Chris is survived by his devoted wife Terry Ann Siciliano of  24 years. Chris is also survived by six children from his first marriage, and two stepchildren with Terry. His children include five sons and one daughter: Christopher and wife Samantha, Richard and partner Erika, Stephen, Andrew, Matthew and wife Amber, and Chris' daughter Maria. His stepchildren include Amy Tranum and husband Steve, and Kurt Leonard.

Chris was "Poppy" to 17 grandchildren in total. Chris' children blessed him with 14 grandchildren: Josh, Olivia, Faith, Raelynn, Korbyn, Trinity, Cayden, Brittany, Ryan, Ethan, Elizabeth, Hudson, Zoey, and Matthew Jr. His first great-grandchild is due in December. Chris' stepchildren Amy & Kurt blessed him with 3 additional grandchildren: Ryan, Elaina, and Adriana.  Chris is also survived by two younger sisters, Faith Cooley & Michele Hanson, who both reside in Oregon.

Chris was a self-educated, patient, loving, one-of-a-kind man with a quirky sense of  humor. Despite his tall 6'2" stature, Chris had the patience of a saint and offered kindness to everyone he ever met. Additionally, Chris was a conversationalist and he effortlessly initiated dialogue with just about anyone he happened upon including complete strangers. His charismatic charm was absolutely magnetic. Chris' was well known in his community and appreciated by people of all sorts from neighbors, hospital staff, hotel workers, to retail clerks. Chris was known by just about every employee at the local food store he frequented. During his many hospitals stays, the nurses and even hospital cleaning and kitchen staff always commented that Chris was their favorite patient.

Chris' interests and achievements were through his own initiative  and his own natural curiosity. As a child, Chris had many interests and hobbies.

Chris loved to swim. In fact, he was an avid competitive swimmer. He taught Red Cross Basic Swimming and Junior & Senior Life Saving. Chris was a proud Boy Scout, and earned his Eagle Scout rank at the age of 12. Chris earned 21 Merit badges and had many notable accomplishments as a Scout. He swam three one-mile swims and held a Scout Lifeguard position at Resica Falls Scout Camp Reservation, in East Stroudsburg, PA. One of his more notable Scout excursions was when he hiked the challenging Presidential Trail over five mountains in the White Mountains of New Hampshire over a 2-week time period. During another Scout hike, his troop assisted on a search and rescue mission for a local missing elderly woman. Chris made the local news when he alone found the missing woman. Chris was particularly proud of his 5th son Matthew who followed in his footsteps in earning his Eagle Scout rank, and was on the swim team for all 8 years of high school and college.  

Chris was a voracious reader. He read Webster’s Dictionary cover to cover twice, becoming a skilled wordsmith. He read anything he could get his hands on including nearly all of the World Book Encyclopedia and various publications such as Popular Mechanics. He also read all types of college level books on economics, history, government, and others from his father's years at Temple University. He became an ardent historian with a hawk-like memory of historical dates & facts. As a result of his achievements in high school, Chris was a very proud member of the National Honor Society. Because of his self-directed education in history and reading, Chris earned all but six of his required 4-year college credits under the CLEP & ACT testing program while in the Navy. He completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1982 majoring in Sociology.  He continued to take college courses and was only two classes short of obtaining a second degree in Computer Science.

Growing up during his pre-teen/teen years in Media PA, Chris held numerous jobs such as lifeguard, gas station attendant, auto mechanic, postal worker, orchard tree trimmer, retail sales, restaurant busboy, waiter, construction laborer, house painter.

Chris was both skilled and amazingly proficient at just about everything; a jack-of-all-trades. From electrical work, carpentry, and mechanical challenges. He especially loved working on cars. Chris took special pleasure in having restored his 1978 Ford Thunderbird and our 1953 Ford Golden Jubilee farm tractor. He also had a knack for making a heavy job simpler by using levers and pulleys.

Chris was an excellent cook and also loved baking for family and acquaintances at Christmas time. Everyone looked forward to Chris' annual Christmas cookies that he shared with family, coworkers, neighbors and even employees at the local food store he frequented.

Chris and I met on a blind date in 1998 and married a year later on Valentine's Day 1999. Many times Chris shared the story that he knew on our first date we would marry. When he first laid eyes on me, he said I had an aura around me. I fell in love with Chris' intelligence and charm. I introduced Chris to my favorite place in the Benezette valley of the Alleghany Mountains in Pennsylvania. This area soon became Chris' favorite place as well. Chris & I spent many wonderful years together and with family & friends at our Benezette mountain cabin enjoying its serenity, hiking, fishing, and the wilderness wildlife . We would often see elk, deer, black bears, and turkey.  Chris often spent "Poppy-time" at the mountain cabin mentoring his stepchildren on basic knot ties, using a compass, basic tool handling, and dangers of the forest. He experienced enormous pleasure spending this time with his grandkids.

Military Service: Chris served 23 years in the U.S. Navy and is a veteran of the Vietnam War.  Chris' military tenure includes 10.5 years active duty and 13 years in the Naval Reserve. He entered the military as a Seaman Recruit progressing up in rank to his final Commission as a Limited Duty Officer Lieutenant.  During his military service, Chris earned numerous ribbons/medals including the Navy Achievement medal, Coast Guard Special Operations medal, the Vietnam Service medal and Combat Action Ribbon to name just a few.

In 1968 at age 19, Chris "enlisted" during the Vietnam War.  He entered basic training at Naval Station Great Lakes (NSGL) in February 1969 and was assigned as Second Platoon Leader for Company 90, graduating in June 1969.  Chris started Basic Electricity and Electronics (BE&E) training at NSGL in June 1969. He completed BE&E and transferred to Fleet Sonar School (FSS), Key West, Florida. After graduating from various Sonar schools in June 1970, Chris transferred to the Destroyer USS O’Hare DD889, already deployed to the Mediterranean Sea, as a Surface Sonar Technician 3rd Class (STG3). Chris's main duties included maintaining the ship’s SONAR, Underwater Communications, Fathometer, Active Torpedo Countermeasures, and several other smaller systems. Chris had several other deployments to the Caribbean, Mediterranean Sea and North Atlantic, and a 6-month deployment to a shipyard overhaul.

His last deployment on the USS O’Hare was to Vietnam from December 1972 - March 1973. During his deployment, Chris fought in several battles. He served as the ship’s main battery gun target pointer stationed in the ship’s gun director. He fired over 1200 rounds of 5-inch ammunition in 59 Naval Gunfire Support (NGFS) missions up and down the North and South Vietnamese coast.

After returning from O’Hare’s Western Pacific (WestPac) deployment, Chris transferred back to FSS Key West to train on a digital SONAR system the Navy was installing on new construction Frigates. After successfully completing his training Chris was promoted to STG1and transferred, as Leading Petty Officer, to the new Frigate USS Truett FF-1095 in 1974.

Truett cruises included the Caribbean and a full circumnavigation of South America where the ship operated with 31 foreign submarines. In 1976 Chris rode diesel and nuclear subs during deployment, and then transferred to US Naval Guided Missile School (NGMS), Dam Neck, VA.

Chris' time at NGMS was spent teaching Shipboard Combat Systems maintenance for guided missile Destroyers and guided missile Frigates.  Spare time during the day involved researching, ordering, and installing upgrades to all the school's Naval Tactical Data System Computers and Fire Control Systems.  After his daytime Navy work, Chris also worked evenings driving and maintaining tractor-trailers for Preston Trucking Company in Norfolk from 1976 to 1979. 

Chris left active duty in October 1979 and joined the Naval Reserve.  He served as Administrative Officer for the Frigate USS McCandless FF 1086 unit for four years making Grades E-7 and E-8.  He was selected for Commission to Ensign and transferred to In-Shore Undersea Warfare Group Two (IUWG-2) based in Baltimore, Maryland. After four years, Chris transferred to Mobile In-Shore Undersea Warfare Unit (MIUWU) 210 in Baltimore when IUWG-2 was moved to Norfolk.  His deployments with the 210 included Puerto Rico, Haiti, and an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico in support of Homeland Security with illegal immigrations and counter narcotics trafficking.

Chris was a true naval sailor. During his active duty, he made many six month deployments. His love and memories of being onboard at sea never left him.

Chris retired from the Navy on July 1, 1992. The discipline and patriotism he learned in the Navy never left him as friends and family will attest. Despite never encouraging a military career, he was extremely proud that all 5 of his sons chose to follow in his footsteps and serve in the U.S. military. Christopher served 4 years as an Aviation Machinists Mate (Jet Engine Mechanic) in Norfolk, VA. Richard served 2 years in the Navy as an E1 Deck Seaman. Stephen served 6 years in the Navy as Fire Controlman 2nd Class, Surface Warfare Specialist reaching Petty Officer 2nd Class. Andrew retired as a First Sergeant in the Army after serving 20 years. Andrew was an Army Ranger and Purple Heart recipient, having served 13 combat deployments to Iraq & Afghanistan. Matthew is currently serving as an Explosive Ordinance Chief in the Navy, stationed in Norfolk VA. Chris is also very proud of his granddaughter Elizabeth (daughter of Andrew) who is in the process of joining the Air Force.

Private Industry Sector: After his military service, Chris worked as a Government Contractor - U.S. Navy & Foreign Navy Support with several private companies including Vitro Laboratories, E.G.&G, ORI, Inc., Tracor, and lastly he was employed over 21 years with Applied Management Corp. (AMCORP) as its Vice President. During his private career, Chris' work entailed developing and installing submarine and surface ship combat systems, decommissioning U.S. Naval ships, retrofitting U.S. and foreign ships, and foreign military sales working with high-ranking military leaders in the U.S. and other countries such as Taiwan, Spain, Greece, Israel, Germany, and Norway, and many others.

At age 69, Chris retired from AMCORP at the end of November 2018. Four months later in March 2019, Chris was diagnosed with primary liver & primary pancreatic cancer, after successfully beating an earlier non-Hodgkin's lymphoma testicular cancer in 2009. Chris fought his cancers with strength and grace undergoing many chemotherapy and radiation treatments. In December 2021 his pancreatic cancer spread to 3 lymph nodes in his chest. Chris again underwent chemo and radiation through the end of June 2022 after which his cancer went into remission. Chris was fondly referred to as "the remission man" by family. But, in June 2023, Chris was diagnosed with another non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in the brain, spinal cord, and thigh. Chris passed away peacefully in hospice. Chris was a true warrior through it all. Despite his many treatments and hospitalizations, Chris' charm and humor prevailed and he always got laughs from his nurses and doctors. He was admired by all.

Chris led a full life and accomplished an extraordinary amount in one lifetime. He leaves behind a large lineage, and his memory will live on and continue to inspire his family for generations to come.  

My beloved husband has given me years of love and a lifetime of wonderful memories I will hold close to my heart.  

Our love is forever,

 even though you're gone

Loneliness surrounds me,

but memories linger on

A private memorial will be held with his immediate family. 

In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be sent to Wounded Warrior Project at http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/donate.

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