Jeffrey Oran Haseltine

Jeffrey Oran Haseltine, age 63, of Abilene, passed away Saturday, July 28, 2018. Jeff was born to Oran Lee and Doris Jean (Keith) Haseltine in Fullerton, California, on January 15, 1955. Jeff was the second of three children, following his older sister Claudia and preceding his younger brother William.

Jeff graduated from Dallas Christian High School in 1973 as a National Merit semi-finalist and valedictorian. He then attended Oklahoma Christian College, graduating in three years with an English major and Music minor. He met Gwynn Wallace while on a student mission trip to New Mexico, and they were married December, 26, 1975, one semester before graduation.

During the summer of 1975, Jeff was on a team of students scheduled to do mission work in Vietnam. However, in events that changed his life, Saigon fell and Jeff spent the summer in Ibaraki, Japan instead. Just before graduation, he was asked to return to Ibaraki Christian College to teach English. He and Gwynn spent 8 years total in Japan, where his oldest daughters Kelly and Jessica were born and where he earned his Masters of Liberal Studies from the University of Oklahoma.

Jeff received his Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Southern Illinois University and then spent one year overseeing the International Business Institute at Southeast Missouri State University before joining the English faculty at Abilene Christian University.

At ACU, Jeff taught freshman English, English as a Second Language, and oversaw the Intensive Language Institute. He served as Chairman of the Foreign Language Department, then spent many years as Associate Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences and Assistant Dean of both the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Education. After 24 years at ACU, Jeff worked for Reasoning Mind, where his favorite hours were those he got to spend with small groups of elementary students helping them with math concepts.

Jeff loved all things Japanese, classical music, and playing the piano. He was a master maker of puns, always looking for an opportunity to play with language. He enjoyed writing and his self-published tongue-in-cheek book “How to Cheat at Cribbage” has sold numerous copies in both the U.S. and England. He loved school projects with his girls – especially if they involved building things from scraps, a talent he learned from his own father.

Jeff is survived by his wife Gwynn; four daughters: Kelly Quinn of Atlanta, GA, Jessica Khachiyants & husband Armen of Wylie, Melanie Haseltine of Abilene, and Claire Haseltine currently working in Thailand; sister Claudia Sewell and husband Kirk of Springfield, IL; brother William Haseltine and wife Jadwiga of Reston, VA; and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Funeral services are Thursday, August 2, at 11:00 a.m. at Piersall Funeral Directors, 733 Butternut, with visitation on Wednesday, August 1, 6:00-7:30 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider a donation to either the Abilene Zoological Society, where he loved to spend weekends checking in on the animals (2070 Zoo Lane, Abilene, 79602), or to Chorus Abilene, where his daughters spent many years singing (PO Box 3358, Abilene, 79604). Condolences may be offered to the family online at www.pbfuneraldirectors.com.