He was born on December 30, 1933 in Amsterdam, New York to Joseph and Edna Roca. Manuel, who preferred to be called John, decided at age 17 to pursue a career in the Air Force. He served proudly in the Korean War and retired after 20 years with an honorable discharge as a Master Sergeant.
He married Connie Wallace in 1971 and together they raised a daughter and a son, Carrie and Jason.
John started another career in aerospace in 1979 as a Boeing Machinist and he worked there for 20 years and retired in 1999.
John loved to go fishing and he loved airplanes and spending time with his family. John was a master at fixing things, gaining the nickname “McGyver” from his family and friends for his relentless efforts to repair everything. John always wanted to help all of his friends and family and did so on many occasions.
John is survived by his older sister, Agnes and younger sister, Ruth; his son Jason and daughter-in-law Kari; his grandchildren, Ashlynn, Olivia, Ava, Laila; and great grandsons, Evan, Logan and Keegan.
