We received word last night, confirmed this morning, that Saint Benedict Center’s old and dear friend, John F. McManus, has died. “Jack,” as he was known to his friends, was a loyal Catholic and a committed American patriot whose devotion to God and Country was conspicuous to all who met him.
So far, we do not know anything about arrangements for Jack’s wake and funeral, but we will update this posting when we learn anything.
Here is a brief bio that we have posted elsewhere on this site:
John F. McManus was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1935. At graduation from Holy Cross College in Worcester, Massachusetts, he received a bachelor’s degree in physics and a commission in the United States Marine Corps. After serving three years of active duty, he entered the field of electronics engineering, where he won an award from the U.S. Air Force for designing a component used in fighter aircraft.
Jack left the engineering field in 1966 to accept a full-time position with the John Birch Society. Working closely with Founder Robert Welch for many years, he was named the Society’s Public Relations Director and its official spokesman. In 1991, he was appointed President.
Jack is also a long-time friend and supporter of Saint Benedict Center and the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. With his wife, Mary, Jack resides in Wakefield, Massachusetts.
A slightly longer bio may be found at the website of the Fitzgerald Griffin Foundation. (That site, by the way, is the repository for much of the corpus of Joe Sobran’s writing, and Sobran was a friend of the recently deceased, whom Jack beautifully memorialized when he died in 2010: The Passing of Joseph Sobran.)
Jack authored several articles that are posted on this site, some under his Tertiary name, and others under his given name. Two that are worthy of note are the text of a speech Jack gave on the occasion of a surprise party for Brother Francis, our late superior and teacher, and an article he wrote about his Jesuit missionary-priest uncle, Father Edwin G. McManus, My Only Uncle Was a Missionary Priest.
Jack spoke at our annual Saint Benedict Center Conference a few times, and some of his talks are available at our online store.
Please say a prayer for our deceased friend and if you know anything about his arrangements, feel free to post them in the comments here and I will update this posting accordingly.
