John ‘Jack’ Patrick McManus
Nov. 17, 1930 — Oct. 8, 2008
Published: Friday, October 10, 2008 1:21 AM EDT
KOKOMO — John “Jack” Patrick McManus, 77, died October 8, 2008, in the IU Medical Center in Indianapolis from complications of acute pancreatitis.
Jack was born on November 17, 1930, in Paterson, New Jersey, the son of the late Patrick and Anna McManus. Jack served honorably in the United States Air Force during the Korean War and later attended George Washington University where he found a passion for journalism. Jack began a career at the Marion Chronicle-Tribune where he excelled as police beat reporter. He later accepted a position as an investigator for the Marion Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Martin Lake. Jack often spoke of his fondness of Martin Lake and the work he had done at the Chronicle-Tribune and the Prosecutor’s Office. After working for a year at The Herald Bulletin in Anderson, Jack began his final full time work for Active Products in Marion, Indiana, where he was the Personnel Supervisor for a company involved in the production and shipping of automotive parts to automotive assembly plants across the country. Jack’s vast array of accomplishments and honors include, but are not limited to: Marion Community Schools School Board Member (1988-1992); Inducted into the Marion Bowling Association Hall of Fame (1987); Held several offices, including President, in the Marion Bowling Association; member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity; Gold Level Judge - United States Amateur Roller Skating Association; Roller Skating Pro/Teacher with many national champions including world champions; Two-time United States Roller Skating Champion (1951, 1957); and was an active member of the American Legion, Post 317, Greentown. Jack’s biggest hobby, which ultimately became one of his professions, was artistic roller skating. He studied this sport diligently and became one of the country’s foremost authorities in the disciplines of dance and freestyle, utlimately resulting in two National Championship titles and, after retiring from his amateur status, a Gold Level Judging Certification. His association and contribuitions to this sport enabled him to coach some of the greatest athletes in the world into becoming national and world champions. Through his skating travels throughout the United States and overseas, Jack met Ingrid Marie Schweers. In his words, she was the greatest woman figure skater that he had ever seen. Jack and Ingrid married on July 25, 1964.
For Jack, all of his accomplishments and honors were superceded by his love for his wife, Ingrid, his two sons, Ryan (Marcia) McManus and Scott (Jaime) McManus, his sister, Patricia (Gene) deLadurantaye, and his brother, Larry (Kathleen) McManus. The importance of family, love, and friendship were his greatest gifts. It is for this that he will always be remembered.
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Jack McManus, the man who laid the foundation for Mayor Wayne Seybold’s and his sister’s ice skating career, died Wednesday.
The Kokomo resident formerly worked as a reporter at the Marion Chronicle and was an investigator for the Grant County prosecutor’s office for several years.
Seybold said McManus and his wife, Ingrid, were the first coaches he and his sister ever had. The mayor said he was skating at Idyl Wyld Roller Rink when McManus told his parents their son had talent and that he should pursue skating. At the time, Seybold was 8 or 9 years old, and his sister, Kim, was about 7.
“He got us going and gave us a great foundation,” Seybold said. “He was the one who kind of discovered us, he and his wife, Ingrid.”
He said he and his sister probably wouldn’t have been as successful as they were if it hadn’t been for McManus. The coach taught them the basics of skating and gave them a good foundation that they carried with them throughout their career, he said.
Seybold described McManus as a strict coach but also a lot of fun.
McManus was the Seybolds’ coach for about six years. The two families have been in and out of contact with one another throughout the siblings’ skating career. Seybold said he visited McManus at the hospital in Indianapolis recently, before he died.
“We’re going to miss him,” Seybold said. “It’s not very often somebody can change somebody’s life like he changed mine and my sister’s.”
McManus’ other roots in Marion revolved around his skills as an investigator.
Alan Miller, a former C-T editor, said he worked with McManus at the Marion Chronicle, the evening newspaper, in the early ’60s. At the time, the newspaper had three reporters. Miller covered county government, and McManus covered city government.
“I don’t believe he had any formal journalism training,” Miller said about McManus. “He just had a real knack for gathering news. He was determined and wasn’t afraid of confronting people and not giving up until he got the story.”
McManus left the newspaper in 1978 to become the chief investigator for then-prosecutor Martin Lake.
Lake said he hired McManus, who served as the chief investigator for four years.
“He did simply a marvelous job,” Lake said.
Lake said he had known McManus for 40 years. Like Miller, Lake also worked with him at the newspaper.
“He was just an outstanding newspaperman,” Lake said about McManus. “There just wasn’t a better investigative reporter in my time at the Chronicle.”
Cards may be mailed to: Ingrid McManus, 425 Springmill Drive, Kokomo, Indiana 46902-5177
