John Alan Strine, age 68, of Mansfield, passed away Friday morning, January 12, 2024, at Forest Hills Center in Columbus, after a rapid decline in health. He was born July 5, 1955, in Ashland, Ohio, the only son of the late Orlo and Anna Marilee (Hines) Strine.
John was a car enthusiast. He was fortunate to be able to have his occupation also be his passion. Whether it was working on, tinkering with, racing, watching races, teaching, or just simply driving down the street, John loved cars. He loved cheering on his favorite NASCAR team—Interstate Battery. He was a member of the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Club where he participated in, and won, many autocross races and road rallies. John was also a member of the SCCA and he raced his Datsun 1200 at several tracks including Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Nelson Ledges.
He had a special affinity for Datsun vehicles and probably owned 25-50 throughout his lifetime. When participating as a driver with Mid-Ohio Sports Car Club, John would race 3-4 cars (normally a Datsun) and take home wins every time. His favorite road rally was the Spook run, where he and his team would drive to each stop and perform some silly task in order to move on to the next location. John taught performance driving at Mid-Ohio for Track Time Performance Driving School in the 90s where he shared his knowledge of and love for racing.
John loved spending time with his children and granddaughters. He was their biggest fan at sporting events, enjoyed singing karaoke with them, and simply being present when they needed him. He took great pride in educating his children on car maintenance and he made certain they knew how to change the oil, change a tire, and perform basic car upkeep. John’s legacy lives on in the memories of his family and friends and he will be treasured for a lifetime.
He is survived by his wife, Sandi Littleton Strine; two children, John Strine (Reese Wright) and Jenne Ward; three granddaughters, Chelsea, Rachel and Scarlett Ward; four sisters, JoAnn (Tom) Beechy, Jane (Chuck) Knight, Joy Sprang, and Jill Ryan; and many nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a sister, Jenny Strine.
A gathering of family and friends will be held from 1:00-2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, at Wappner Funeral Directors-Ontario, 100 S. Lexington-Springmill Road. A memorial service officiated by Rev. Jeremy Muncy will follow at 2:00 p.m. He will be inurned in Mansfield Memorial Park. Memorial contributions may be made to the Brain Injury Association of America or the Brain Trauma Foundation.
