Dr. John Joseph Haberstroh, VL ’78

Dr. John Joseph Haberstroh, 64, of Salem, New Hampshire, passed away unexpectedly on July 13, 2021.

Born in White Plains, NY, on September 26, 1956, he was the son of the late Sheryl and John Haberstroh and survived by his brother, Thomas Haberstroh, as well as his nephews, Nicholas and Christopher Haberstroh.

John is survived by his wife, Kim Wells. John and Kim based their love on trust, dedication, and vulnerability sprinkled with fun. John lived his days telling Kim (bad) jokes, traveling together to visit John’s many friends all over the globe, and putting around the lake in their pontoon boat.

A dedicated and loving father, John’s strength and courage lives on in his daughter, Alexandra. His gift of presence lives on in his son, Kurt. John’s gift of fatherhood lives on in his son, Jordan. He was proud of all his children for their individual strengths and successes.

His love for his grandchildren, Jaylanni, Emmah, Braden, Jackson, Edison, and Hudson will continue to be unwavering and eternal.

John attended Lehigh University and was member of the Kappa Alpha Society.

John took great pride in his profession. After graduating from Canadian Memorial Chiropractic School, he opened his own, successful, chiropractic business, Boston Spine Clinics. He loved helping his patients and sharing his experience with colleagues.

He was a man of vast knowledge and many hobbies in which he could keep a conversation flowing on many topics. His expertise and passion for The Beatles was unmatched to which he owned Beatles trivia night. In addition to writing blogs about his favorite band, he played bass guitar in his own bands entitled “Entropy”, “Beatletracks”, and “No Drama”. He and his close friends played at Sadie’s in Salem, New Hampshire. He was also an author, history buff, and sports enthusiast who taught his children the likes of the great sports players in history.

In between Beatles trivia nights, movies reviews, scuba diving, and becoming the next Paul McCartney, he was busy coercing and teasing those he loved. He would have Emma sneak him strawberry milkshakes and he would convince his neighbors to cook Italian dinners. Jaylanni called him “Opa” and Emma would call him “Big Guy John”, which were precious nicknames they gave him.

John lived a big, full life. The room felt smaller when he entered it because his presence would fill the room. He had a large stature and strong voice that introduced him everywhere he went. Being John’s friend meant a feeling of him pulling at your heart strings.

There will be a memorial on September 26, John’s birthday, in Salem, New Hampshire, to celebrate his life. Place and Time to be privately announced to family, friends and close colleagues.

This obituary was written in part by the Goundrey & Dewhirst Funeral Home, 42 Main Street, Salem, NH.