Retired Haddon Officer, 52, Remembered As 'Friend To All'

HADDON TOWNSHIP, NJ — John "Jack" Powers, a retired Haddon Township police officer and longtime local umpire, died Sunday after a brief battle with cancer. He was 52.

Powers served the township's police department for 20 years, before an accident-induced disability forced him into early retirement. The agency described Powers as "a friend to all and had a natural ability to bring happiness and joy to those around him."

Before policing, Powers graduated from Clayton High School and joined the Air Force, according to his obituary. Following an honorable discharge, he worked in security and managed a few restaurants. Then he began his dream job — following in his father John Powers, Jr.'s footsteps and becoming a police officer.

Outside of policing, Powers umpired Little League, girl's softball and high school baseball. He even umpired in Cooperstown, New York — the home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Powers also loved soccer, watching sports, chatting with friends and, most of all, his family, especially his children.

See Powers's obituary here.