John R. Mannheim, passed away peacefully on Dec. 23, 2022 in the presence of his beloved wife, Claire. He leaves his daughter Sidney and husband James, daughter Stacy and husband Ross, his brother Charles and wife Shirley, his brother Paul and wife Susan, as well as many nieces and nephews in our extended family.
John was a graduate of Amherst College and a fundraiser for the Class of 1953. He enjoyed the reunions and celebrations with many friends over the last 70 years. He also attended Andover Newton Seminary. John worked for the YMCA, taught at North Reading High School and negotiated teachers’ contracts for the Massachusetts Teachers Association.
From 1971 to 2001 John worked as a union negotiator for the Massachusetts Teachers Association. As an MTA advocate, John negotiated hundreds of teacher contracts and conducted organized campaigns to mobilize and activate teachers. He was a highly skilled negotiator who had the respect of both labor and management as a man with impeccable integrity. John was an inspirational and highly motivating force who played a major role in the growth of the teacher’s union movement in the northeast part of Massachusetts.
As a resident of Concord since 1976, John was a strong advocate for peace, justice and the environment. He was the first male member of the Concord Peace Vigil that began in 1991. Our banner read “We walk with those who suffer because of war”.
He was very active in the Cambridge branch of the Veterans for Peace and participated in all of their peace efforts beginning in 2003. John supported “grass roots actions for peace,” also based in Concord for many years.
He was an active member of CREW, “Citizens Research and Environmental Watch”. This local group challenged Nuclear Metals/Starmet to stop producing the depleted uranium penetrator that was used in all of the Gulf Wars and also used in Serbia. John helped CREW get the Starmet site declared a superfund site.
John so enjoyed his family and he always had humorous stories to tell his friends after the conclusion of the Concord Peace Vigil each Friday. He always had a smile on his face no matter how difficult the situation was for him. He loved the Cincinnati Reds and he also was a Boston Celtics fan.
His efforts and his energy will be missed by all of us.
John is a man who is easy for all of us to love. A Celebration of John’s life will be held in the spring on April 29, 2023 at 10:00 AM at Holy Family Parish (formerly St. Bernard’s Church), 12 Monument Square, Concord, MA. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of John may be made to a charity of your choice. Burial will be private. Arrangements are under the direction of the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading. www.croswellfuneralhome.com
