Seward Miles “Mike” Haight Jr., 90, of Beverly, Mass., formerly of Towanda and Troy, passed away Aug. 20, 2008 at Ledgewood Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center, Beverly, following a lengthy illness.
Mike was born June 9, 1918 in Mountain Lake, Bradford County, Pa. He was the seventh child of nine born to Ethel and Seward M. Haight Sr. At the age of five he moved with his family to Luthers Mills, where he attended elementary school. He attended Troy High School and graduated in 1936. During his lifetime he owned a dairy farm and a restaurant, and later in his career he raised and raced standardbred horses. Mike was known for his ownership of the Indian Trail Restaurant, a popular place with the locals in Towanda during the late 1950s and early ‘60s. Mike was a sports enthusiast, and his restaurant catered to Bradford County high schools sports teams. He also followed the Wyalusing sports teams, where he enjoyed watching his two sons participate in wrestling. After selling the restaurant business in 1964 he turned his part-time hobby of racing standardbred horses into a full-time business. Mike proclaimed that working with the horses afforded him the most satisfying work of his lifetime. During his racing career he traveled from Maine to Florida. He had 275 wins and numerous places and shows. After many years of racing and training he sold his horses and worked as a paddock judge in raceways in Ohio and Florida. As Mike’s health began to fail he moved to Massachusetts to live with his daughter, Judy, and then later entered Ledgewood Skilled Nursing Center.
Mike is survived by: his daughter, Judy Manchester of Rockport, Mass.; a son, Gene Haight, and his wife, Doreen, of Horseheads; grandchildren Jeff Haight of Warren Center, Rae Lynne Powell Stephenson of Athens, Lesha Haight, Warren Center, Brett Powell, Centerville, Michael Haight, Rockville, Va., Philip Haight, Phoenix, Ariz., and Matt Manchester, Austin, Texas. He had 11 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. He is survived by: a sister, Anna and her husband, Robert Perry, of Sayre; sister Doris Morris of Wellsburg; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by a son, Jerry, in 1987. He was also preceded by brothers Carl, Merle, Vern, Robert and Floyd and a sister, Helen.
A memorial service will be held Friday, Aug. 29, 2008 at 3 p.m. at Maryott-Bowen Funeral Home, 217 York Ave., Towanda. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made in Mike’s memory to a charity of ones choice.