John S. Mancino

John Stephen Mancino blessed the loving marriage of James and Rose (Colich) on June 8^th, 1944, in New Castle, Pennsylvania. John grew up in New Castle with brothers Bill and James. Being one of three boys, there was always someone to play along, make discoveries beside, and cause a little bit of mischief with. After high school, he joined the Army, where he served for a time guarding the Demilitarized Zone area between North and South Korea. John had a strong desire for wisdom and knowledge, which led him to earn his bachelor's degree from Youngstown State and then his master's from Georgia Tech., where he was also a member of Alpha Phi Delta. His two brothers were also members of the same fraternity in their colleges, so that made them all "brother" brothers as well, which they laughed about. In the early 1970s, John was a very forward thinker and told his brother Bill that in the future, there would be computers everywhere, even in the men's bathroom. That drove him to leave the industry in Alaska. This started a lifelong passion for admiring the beauty of the country. He spent 15 years crossing the country in a car and then another 15 years walking and pack backing.

John loved the outdoors, and being in nature is where he felt the inspiration to paint and write. John avidly backpacked through most of the national parks. The last count was 316. Whenever he stayed in a park, he would talk with the rangers in that area, where he would ask to paint the most beautiful places. John also kept a diary with him and would daily chronicle the sights and things he did. Not thinking anything of his accomplishments, in a move, he sent all of his writings and paintings to his parents for safekeeping. When they passed, Bill took possession, and after seeing what his brother had done, Bill took John's information and collections and published a book. In doing so, John didn't allow actual names or actual photos of himself to be used for any of the credits. It was his love and passion for the outdoors that drove him to preserve what he saw and wanted to share with others. The book is titled Capturing America's Beauty. John passed from this world on February 6^th, 2024, in Burlington, Colorado, and joined both his parents who preceded him. He is survived by Brothers Bill and wife Jeanne of Pennsylvania, James and Maxine of Illinois, and nieces, nephews, and friends.