Haverhill: John B. Phaneuf, 91, a native and lifelong resident of Haverhill, died June 13, 2023 at Merrimack Valley Hospital, Haverhill. The son of the late Arthur and Eva (Goudreault) Phaneuf, John attended Saint Joseph Grammar School and was a member of the Saint James High School Class of 1949. An active and accomplished athlete involved in all major sports, he was a member of several State Championship Baseball Teams.

For most of his working career, John was employed as a Senior Design Engineer at Western Electric Co., AT & T Technologies and Lucent Technologies until his retirement. During his long career, he established and was a holder of several U.S. patents.

A member of All Saints Parish, the former Saint Joseph Parish and the Rockingham Pony Club, he also enjoyed playing softball on the Western Electric Softball Team. An avid outdoorsman, John enjoyed hiking and successfully scaled all of the major New England peaks over a period from 1954 until 1974 and kept an in depth journal of his treks. He was an avid skier and member of the National Ski Patrol and the Bradford Ski Area Patrol. A true "weekend warrior," he enjoyed fishing, boating, summers at Lake Ossipee, and taking meticulous care of his home and yard.

Predeceased in 2021 by his wife of sixty-five years, Joanne R. (Giard) Phaneuf, he is survived by his son Thomas A. Phaneuf and his husband Michael D. Loos of Haverhill, his daughter, Diane E. (Phaneuf) Buckley of Atkinson, his former daughter-in-law Kim (Gervasi) Biard of Florida, two granddaughters, Courtney N. Portela and her longtime companion, Anthony, of Florida and Chelsea D. Stoddard and her husband, Shaun, of Coventry, RI, and a great-grandson, Carlos Portela.

The family wishes to thank the Care Team at Hannah Duston Healthcare in Haverhill for their patience and care of Mr. Phaneuf and for the many daily fist bumps from residents and caregivers. Disposition of cremains will be held privately for family and under the direction of Brookside Chapel & Funeral Home, 116 Main St., Plaistow, NH. The family requests that memorial donations be made to the MSPCA at Nevis Farm, 400 Broadway, Methuen, MA. To send a message of condolence to the family, please visit: www.brooksidechapelfh.com