Friendly Spirits owner remembered as affable jokester
Apr 12, 2018KILLINGLY — John “Nick” Haines, a longtime Killingly businessman and community booster know for his quick wit and affability, died this week at age 68.Haines, who owned and operated Friendly Spirits in Danielson for 45 years, died Tuesday, leaving a legacy of community involvement and civic outreach. Haines served on the Northeastern Connecticut board of directors for 11 years beginning in 2000 and was named the group’s president in 2010.Chamber Executive Director Betti Kuszaj said Haines in 2002 was presented with the organization’s Civic Achievement Award, an honorarium earned by a recipient’s involvement with clubs, charities and other groups over a long period.“He was definitely an extrovert and loved to make people laugh, usually by being self-deprecating about things like his height,” Kuszaj said. “During our annual award ceremonies, I’d ask board members, including Nick, to stand up and be recognized. He’d always joke the only way we’d see him was if he stood on a chair. He was a full-glass, not half-glass full guy.”When interviewed by The Bulletin in 2010, Haines spoke about the chamber’s resiliency even during troubled economic times.“In a bad economy, this chamber doesn’t seem to notice it,” he said the night he was formally introduced as chamber president.In addition to his chamber work, Haines was also a longtime member and past president of the Killingly-Brooklyn Rotary. Killingly resident, businessman and Rotary member John Hallbergh said he’d run into Haines occasionally over the years.“He was a very friendly guy, always cracking a joke,” Hallbergh said. “He was just an all-around amicable guy who was very involved in the town.”Killingly Economic Development Director Elsie Bisset got to know Haines as part of her work as the town’s business liaison.“He was a jokester,” she said. “Back when the town was celebrating its 300th birthday in 2008, we had a big three-tiered cake built for our parade. Nick kept that cake stored at his shop and pulled it out the next summer all decorated and put it out by the road. He was... (Norwich Bulletin)
