Obituary of Clarence Elmer Haught

Clarence Elmer Haught, a longtime resident of Coeur d’Alene and a retired administrator at North Idaho College, died Monday, Oct. 31, at home after a long period of failing health. He was 83. He was known for his woodworking and model airplane skills. Haught was born in Aurora, Colorado, on May 14, 1933, and moved with his parents to Idaho a year later. The family raised some crops and dairy cattle on a series of farms in Southern Idaho, near Twin Falls, Castleford and Buhl. Clarence attended Castleford High School and graduated from Buhl High School in 1951. He joined the U.S. Navy and was trained as an aviation mechanic. He served during the Korean War on the aircraft carrier the U.S.S. Mindoro. He remembered his Navy years as the best days of his life. In recent years, he proudly wore his Korean Veteran ball cap everywhere he went. He was delighted when a passer-by thanked him for his service. After he left the Navy, Clarence worked as a mechanic at Reeder Flying Service in Twin Falls and taught aviation mechanics at Idaho State University. He moved to Coeur d’Alene in 1963 to become assistant director of vocational education at what was then North Idaho Junior College. Eventually, he became director and later dean of the vocational education and he took great pride in growing the program’s offerings. He retired in 1991 after serving 28 years. Clarence stayed busy during his retirement, designing, building and flying model airplanes, even representing United States modelers in a Chinese competition. He loved working with wood and built 41 of pieces of Mission oak furniture, dozens of toys and boxes. He turned countless wooden bowls on his lathe. His other hobbies included shooting guns and reloading ammunition, riding motorcycles and taking photographs. He also loved dogs, especially cocker spaniels. He’d had 16 of them over the years and one basset hound. Clarence is survived by his wife of 27 years, Carol; three children, Nancy, David (Jennifer) and Debra; three step-children, Jennifer (Perry), Gail (Larry) and Branden (Felicity); nine grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. No funeral was planned but a memorial will be held later. Remembrances may be donations to a U.S. veterans’ group or the Kootenai County Humane Society.