Judge John A. Westhafer passed away peacefully on November 1, 2025, with his loving family by his side. He was born in Greensburg, Indiana, on August 16, 1940, the fifth of Alden and Dorothy Westhafer’s six children.
In 1958, he graduated from Greensburg Community High School, where he was active in golf, basketball, the Student Council, and Follies. His relationships with many of his high school friends continued throughout his adult life, and he enjoyed the numerous class reunions he helped organize over the years.
Two years at Florida State University followed, where he played a little golf and became a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity, joining his brothers, Joe and Tom. After transferring to Purdue, he joined the chapter there and was an active member for the two years he was on campus, forming many more lasting friendships. He became a loyal Boilermaker and remained one until the end.
After graduating from Purdue in 1962, he began his pursuit of his law degree, spending one year at the I.U. School of Law, followed by two more at George Washington University. He received his J.D. in 1965. It was during that time in Washington D.C. that he met the love of his life, Sandra Detomasi. They were married in 1964 and while they enjoyed their time in the city, the place John truly loved was Indiana. The decision was made to move to Indiana, and they returned there upon his graduation from law school.
The first step in his legal career was in Lafayette, where he worked as Assistant Corporate Council at National Homes Corporation. After the birth of their first child in 1969, the family moved to Greensburg, where he entered into private practice, soon joining Jack Shields in Batesville, Indiana. During the next seven years, John served as a Deputy Prosecutor in Ripley County, Greensburg City Attorney, and acting Mayor of Greensburg. In 1976, he was elected Decatur County Circuit Court Judge, a position he held for 36 years. He loved being a Judge and felt privileged and humbled to serve the people of his community in that capacity. He respected the attorneys who appeared in his court, as well as the law enforcement officers and courthouse employees he associated with on a daily basis.
John was a graduate of both the National Judicial College and the Indiana Judicial College. He served on the Board of Directors of the Indiana Judicial Conference, as well as the Board of Managers of the Indiana Judges Association. In 2016, he successfully ran for a seat on the Decatur County Council and served a four-year term, his final foray into the realm of public service.
In private life, John served on the Board of Directors of Developmental Services and was a former President of the Decatur County Historical Society. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church and a former member of the Elks and Rotary Clubs. For many years, he was an active member of the Greensburg Country Club, where he was Club Champion on three occasions.
He was twice honored by the Greensburg Optimist Club as the Law Enforcement Officer of the year and received the Governor’s Distinguished Service Award from Governor Mitch Daniels upon his retirement.
He took great pleasure in attending the many extracurricular activities his children, and later his grandkids, participated in throughout their school years. He enjoyed and agonized over following his beloved Boilermaker sports teams and attended games at all of the original Big 10 stadiums. He loved the golf trips he took with his friends and the competitive ping pong matches that took place during the winter months. He had a sharp, inquisitive mind and regularly completed the New York Times Crossword. He loved history and exploring the world, and he and Sandi traveled extensively after his retirement, managing to visit four of the seven continents.
Above all else, John was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, and his family will miss him dearly.
He is survived by his wife, Sandra, sons, Andrew (Jodi Ewing) and Matthew (Gia), and daughter, Emily (Ethan Crough), five grandchildren: Ella Miller (Josh), Alden Westhafer, Claudia Westhafer, Bo Crough, and Ogden Crough, and three great-grandchildren: Everett, Flora, and Winston Miller. He is also survived by his brother, Tom Westhafer, sisters, Barbara Westhafer and Dottie Crebo, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Alden and Dorothy, and his brothers, Jerry and Joe.
A visitation will be held on Saturday, November 8, 2025, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm at Porter-Oliger-Pearson Funeral Home. A memorial service will be held following the gathering at 1:00 pm, also at the funeral home, with Pastor Dawn Barnes-Israel officiating. Following the services, a private interment will take place at South Park Cemetery for family.
For those wishing to do so, memorial contributions can be made in memory of John to the Decatur County Family YMCA or the Decatur County Community Foundation.