STORMVILLE – John “Craig” Hayton, 70, a lifelong area resident, died on April 17, 2017 at the Wingate at Dutchess.

Born in Poughkeepsie on April 4, 1947, he was the son of the late John and Pearl (Purcell) Hayton. He was a graduate of SUNY Cobleskill.

On July 29, 1989 at the Hopewell Reformed Church, Craig married Janet (Bissinger) Hayton who survives at home. He is also survived by his daughter, Karen Ellard and her husband Chuck of VA; his stepdaughters and their husbands, Patricia and John Newell and Christine and Ivan Skulevold; his grandchildren, Daniel and Morgan DeShetler, Kelsey and Rachel Ellard, and Heather Wohltmann, Katarina, Victoria and Arianna Skulevold; his sister, Phyllis Forde and her husband James of Hopewell Junction; and several nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Craig spent his career as a farmer. He had raised the first cattle at the Kiyiwana Farm in Stormville, and managed several beef cattle farms in NY, PA, and VT including Donald’s Mountains Farm in Roscoe, NY. In addition, he was a member of the 4H Club and the Orange County Farmers Museum. He also worked with antique tractor pulls. Most recently, he had been employed by Arnoff Moving and Storage and will be remembered as an avid hunter.

Calling hours will be held on Friday from 10am – 12pm at the McHoul Funeral Home, Inc., 895 Route 82, Hopewell Junction. A funeral service will be held at 12pm at the funeral home officiated by Rev. Taylor Holbrook followed by burial at Fishkill Rural Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to National Parkinson Foundation, Inc., 200 SE First Street, Suite 800, Miami, FL 33131. Please visit Craig’s Book of Memories at www.mchoulfuneralhome.com.

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