John Edward Mannion Jr.

Jack was born on September 26, 1928 in Platte, South Dakota to John Sr. and Frances Mannion and grew up in Gregory, South Dakota. He graduated high school in 1946 and went to several colleges. He got kicked out or flunked out of all of them, but he did learn to drink. He was a country school teacher prior to being drafted. He served in the army in the Korean War from 1951–1953 in an engineer battalion. After Korea, he worked as a barber while attending college at Sacramento State, where he received a BA in Social Science. Jack quit drinking and went to AA for about a year, and never drank again. Jack was a social worker and later a probation officer for Sacramento County, retiring in 1988 at the age of 60.

About a year after he worked up the courage to ask to use his cute neighbor’s phone, Jack married Janeth Thompson in 1967. They were married for 49 years until her death in 2016.

Jack enjoyed kayaking and practically lived on the American River after retirement. He was a participant in Eppie’s Great Race for 25 years. He was a regular blood donor and donated approximately 19 gallons, or over 150 individual donations, over his lifetime. At the age of 85 he wrote his book “Close But No Cigar”' of which he was incredibly proud. Jack was a prolific painter, specializing in encaustics and oils. He was a favorite uncle to his nieces and nephews.

He was a faithful Catholic, attending mass weekly every Saturday, “to beat the Sunday rush.”

Jack lived for his children and grandchildren, and loved to tell jokes and play pranks. Jack is survived by his two children Eden (Jose Saldana) and Bracken (Ruth) Mannion, seven grandchildren, his brother James and sister Rosemary.

Jack will be buried Monday March 23th at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Sacramento with immediate family only in attendance. A celebration of his life will be held Saturday, June 20th at Rancho Seco Park at 11 a.m. Friends and family will be welcomed.