Mr. John Thorndike Huntington II

January 26, 1934 - May 22, 2019

John Thorndike Huntington II, noted scholar and sportsman named after his uncle, died on May 22, 2019 in Eustis, Florida after a brief illness. Mr. Huntington was a life-long resident of Malone and had spent winters in Florida for the past several years. Mr. Huntington was born January 26, 1934 during one of the coldest winters in Malone’s history and in the midst of the Depression. He was the son of Kenneth and Lois Huntington and wanted for naught during his formative years. Educated in the Malone schools, he graduated from Franklin Academy in 1951, attended St. Lawrence University, and graduated from Hobart College in 1956 where he was a member of Sigma Phi. While at Hobart he distinguished himself as a thespian and continued his acting and directing career with the Malone Summer Playhouse and the Ballard Mill Theater for many years. While at Hobart College, he founded and skied on the Inter Collegiate Ski team and was a proud wearer of the Hobart H. Following college, he was drafted into the United States Army, serving for two years in Germany with the 32nd Signal Battalion where he was the company clerk when not traveling extensively in Europe. After his honorable discharge, he soon returned to Malone and taught English in the public schools, retiring in 1989. He was a dedicated and innovative teacher and devoted to Huskie sports as a coach for the track teams and later as a coach of the golf team whose success was legendary! During the winter he instructed skiing at Moon Valley and later at Titus Mountain, initiating the Ski Recovery Program and Saturday morning instruction. Following his retirement, he moved to Florida where he continued his acting career for both the Melon Patch Playhouse and the Bay Street Theater. He was a life member of the Malone Golf Club and the Malone BPOE, and a member of NYSUT, and MCSTA. John is survived by his niece, Anne McCarthy Betters and nephews, John and Daniel McCarthy as well as several great-nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his sister, Anne Huntington McCarthy. He will be interred in the Huntington family plot in Morningside Cemetery in Malone. Those wishing to remember John are encouraged to donate to a charity of your choice in his name. There will be a celebration of John’s life at the Malone Golf Club on July 20, 2019 from 1p.m. to 4 p.m.