John W. Jahant
John W. Jahant passed away May 7, 2015. He was born in Akron, Ohio on December 16, 1924, the third of eight children. He attended St. Vincent grade school in Akron, and then graduated from Western Reserve Academy in Hudson in 1943. Having received a Congressional appointment, he then entered the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland and graduated with the class of 1947 in June 1946, in the three-year war shortened curriculum. After graduation, he joined six classmates for his first duty assignment on the USS Pasadena, a light cruiser, in the Pacific. After 30 months, he received orders to Pensacola, Fla. for flight training, his ultimate goal. He was “winged” in June 1950 and was assigned to a fighter squadron at the Naval Air Station in Quonset Point, Rhode Island and then in Sanford and Jacksonville, Florida. The next three years were spent in fighter squadrons aboard carriers in the Atlantic and he made two deployments to the Mediterranean flying from the aircraft carrier USS Leyte. Flight instruction duty in Pensacola followed for the next three years, then two years in the 7th Fleet Staff Intelligence operating from Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines. Following jet refresher training, he was assigned to NAS Whidbey Island, Washington for duty with VAH4, a heavy attack squadron flying twin-engine jet bombers from aircraft carriers in the Pacific. He then served as the Naval Attache’ to the American Ambassador in Seoul Korea and then to Naval Intelligence at the Pentagon, which completed his final years with retirement in 1970.
He married Mary-Jane Gugger, the love of his life, of Staten Island, N.Y in February 1952, who .gave up a promising acting career for Navy life, which she loved and never regretted. They had three children. They moved to Akron in 1970 after his retirement where he had a second career in a building materials retail business as an executive with fifteen stores in four states, acting also as the company’s pilot, which allowed him to continue to pursue his passion for flying. He then retired in 1984. He was active on the boards of the schools where his children attended, St. Sebastian Church, Portage Country Club and several charities. Sadly, Jane lost her battle with cancer in 1987. John’s good health allowed him to play both tennis and golf until he was 89, and travel wherever and whenever tempted. He and Jane attended every class reunion they could, being especially fond of the 1947 classmates and their wives, which continued after her passing. He declined to elaborate but was known as “Silky” to many, especially those in his 6th Company.
Preceded by: Mary-Jane Jahant, his loving wife of 35 years; his parents, Charles and Anna Jahant; his sister, Mary Ann Tiborcz; and brothers, Bill and Chick Jahant
Survived by: His sisters, Jeanne (Tom) LaRose, Ann (Jim) Gillen, and Helen Sarvis; and his brother, Tom Jahant; his children, Lisa Jahant Neidert, Jeanine Jahant, and John (Tracy) Jahant; and his grand-children, Jeremy and Josh Neidert, Chelsea and Adam Miller, and John and Sean Jahant; along with many other nieces, nephews, extended family, and many, many loving friends.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 13 at St. Sebastian Catholic Church, 476 Mull Ave., Akron. Friends will be received on Tuesday, May 12 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Hummel Funeral Home, 500 E. Exchange St., Akron. Interment will follow in Rose Hill Burial Park. Memorial donations may be made to Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank or USNA Retired Officer’s Association