Piano donated to school by family of drunk driving victim

Marilou Haughey used to drive her son to the music store often because he loved to play on the grand piano featured on the showroom floor.

Once, J.P. Haughey asked his mom if they could buy the grand piano for their home.

“I said, ‘how are you going to bring it home? Where are you going to put it, in your room?'” Marilou recalls asking her teenaged boy.

“If I have to sleep on top of it, I will,” was his response.

But the answer was no because his mom wanted him to focus on finishing high school and getting into university.

J.P. Haughey, 17, never made it to university though. He and classmate Sarah Wensley were killed on May 5, 2014 on their way to track and field practice when their vehicle was struck by a drunk driver in a stolen truck.

Now, instead of a grand piano sitting in his empty bedroom, his parents are donating one in his name to his high school.

The shining, black piano was unveiled in a school-wide assembly at Bethlehem Catholic High School on Thursday morning with Haughey’s parents in attendance.

“We didn’t give it to him when he was here, so we thought this was the best way to honour him,” Marilou Haughey said.

The piano bears a plaque with Haughey’s picture and the phrase “play from your heart.”

It’s meant to provide a new way for students to learn the passion the lost teenager had – the passion of playing great music.

A friend of the Haughey family and J.P.’s former music teachers performed the first songs on the piano including a cover of John Legend’s “All of Me” and a cheeky duet from the music teachers.

Two of J.P. Haughey's former teachers play a duet they say expresses the "panache" he showed in their classes. His former band teacher joked he was always late with Timmies, and she told him he better bring her some if he was going to be late – so next time, he had two cups. #yxe pic.twitter.com/kdw5hVKiCl

— Chris Vandenbreekel (@Vandecision) February 28, 2019

One of those teachers, Darcie Lich, said they hoped the duet would express the “panache” J.P. had for music and life.

She had fond memories of Haughey, even though he would arrive late with Tim Horton’s for every band practice.

“I told him ‘you’d better not be late again unless you bring one for me,'” she recalled.

The next band practice, Haughey arrived late – with two cups of coffee in his hands.

“That was the last time I saw J.P.,” Lich said.

Family members and delegates from the Saskatchewan government and MADD Canada emphasized the need for the students and staff at the school to think twice about drunk driving.

J.P.’s father Alex said he hoped anyone who plays the piano will think of his son.

“If we can change the attitude of impaired drivers, and we can save one life, it is worth it.”