John "Mac" McManamin

Mac was born in Stillwater, Minnesota and raised in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. It was in 1938, after his father had lost his logging camp in the Great Depression that Mac took the boat "North to Alaska." With $100 in his pocket and wearing a white suit, he got off the boat in Juneau and met his future wife Mary Jean McNaughton.

In 1940, he moved to Anchorage and worked at various jobs - ditch digger, advertising salesman for the Anchorage Times, ice-cream maker -- to name a few. In 1944, Mac married Mary Jean and she told him to "get a real job". His real jobs included a partnership with Glen Miller and Howard Cruver in the Army Navy Surplus Store, involvement in the original oil leases on the Kenai Peninsula and the speculation and purchase of 160 acres of swamp in midtown Anchorage with partners Kelly Foss, Rod Johnston and Dave Kyzer which would become the Calais Company.

In the early 1960's Mac re-located his family to Santa Barbara, California for the winters while maintaining his love for and home in Anchorage where they spent the summers. His homes in Anchorage and Santa Barbara were a revolving door of friends, family and guests with lots of lively discussions (mainly politics) and always laughter. Mac was quietly passionate about his faith, and not so quietly passionate about politics and economics. He was devoted to his family and gracious to friends and strangers alike. Mac was a very modest, kind and giving man.

In 1990, Mac and Mary Jean's Santa Barbara home burned down and it was then that they moved back up to their home in Anchorage full time.

Mac was pre-deceased by his wife of 53 years, Mary Jean (2004) and his daughters Mary (1967) and Patricia (2003). He is survived by his son John P. of Anchorage and daughters Nancy (Michael Peterson) of Seattle, Robin (Jeff Leppo) of Seattle and his son-in-law, Jerry Ulmer of Anchorage. He is also survived by 9 grandchildren: Conor, Molly, Graham, Evan, John, Joon, Emma, Sam and Peter and 1 great-grandchild - Bailee Lynn.

The McManamin family would like to thank CareNet and all of the special and wonderful caretakers who lovingly attended to Mac over the past 10 years. You are terrific!

A funeral mass will be held on Saturday, November 17 at Holy Family Cathedral at 1:00 p.m. A reception and celebration of his very long life will be held at 1200 "S" Street following the mass.

In lieu of flowers, friends may donate to the Patricia McManamin Scholarship Fund at U of A OR to the charity of their choice.

Arrangements are with Janssen's Evergreen Memorial Chapel, to sign the guestbook please visit www.janssenfuneralhomes.com.