Obituary of John Joseph Mara, Jr.

John Joseph Mara Jr., 77, of Lafayette, California, passed away peacefully surrounded by his wife and children on June 15, 2023. John was born on February 16, 1946 in Brooklyn, New York to John Joseph Mara and Mary Elizabeth Mara (Quinn). The eldest of six children, he grew up surrounded by his lively Irish family, including aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents, in Sunset Park. He graduated from St. Augustine High School in 1963 and married his childhood sweetheart, Mary Keegan. He graduated from St. John’s University College of Insurance in 1969 after encouragement from his Uncle Jack to attend college and build a better future for himself. After evading the draft for five years, John was immediately drafted upon graduating at age 23. He was sent to Florida for his military duty in supplies administration and his relatively old age earned him the nickname “gramps” with his fellow inductees. John did not support the war in Vietnam and was spared from active duty because his superiors didn’t want him influencing his younger peers with his anti-war beliefs. After two years in Florida, John returned to New York City in 1971 and worked for INA as a casualty underwriter. Throughout his twenties, he spent time camping and backpacking and realized how important it was for nature to be a part of his life. He and Mary ultimately went their separate ways and after a few trips out west, he longed to build a new life for himself. He successfully secured a transfer to the San Francisco INA office and headed west in the summer of 1973. John took advantage of everything San Francisco had to offer - the people, the arts, the food and the energy of The City. He relished biking, hiking, and backpacking around northern California. During this time, John discovered one of the great loves of his life: sailing. John loved sailing and was a valued member of local racing teams for many years. He was even featured on an ad for the Leukemia Cup Race in the San Francisco Bay, a race he competed in every year to honor his brother, Marty. John enjoyed working in reinsurance, making life-long friends along the way. In 1981 John joined his sailing mate John Linneman and Gene Phillips to form J. Linneman & Co. John’s job in the insurance industry ultimately led him to another great love of his life, Linda Zuehlke (Van Nostrand). They got married in 1985 in the backyard of their Lafayette home and John was fortunate enough to gain a son, Sam Zuehlke. Although John hadn’t envisioned himself as a father, he was a natural. He welcomed a baby girl, Katie Mara, in 1987 and his second daughter, Annie Mara, in 1995. A very involved father, he took every opportunity to coach sports teams, volunteer in the classroom, and sit front and center at every tournament or performance. You could always find John hiking with a kid in his backpack, leading the way on a bicycle trip, or reading a story before bedtime. John was beyond ecstatic to welcome his grandson, Jackson Zuehlke, into the family in 2017, and take on the title of Grandpa John. John was a multi-faceted man; Sierra backpacker, lover of the San Francisco Ballet, passionate cook, crossword completer, and revered sailor. John was a sarcastic yet kind-hearted gentleman. Above all else, John was known for his wit and humor. If we weren't already laughing, John fixed that. Even at the end, John had both the family and his caregivers laughing. Although the last five years weren’t kind to John, he was strong to the bitter end. John will be forever missed, but never forgotten. He is no longer suffering and free to sail out on the bay once more. He will be remembered by all who knew him for his love and pride of family, his passion for sailing, and his enduring sense of humor. John is survived by his wife, Linda Mara, his children Sam Zuehlke (Amy), Katie Mara and Annie Mara, and his grandson Jackson Zuehlke. He is also survived by his siblings, Maryanne Holzman (George) and Tom Mara (Connie). He is reunited with his parents, John Mara and Mary Mara, and siblings Marty Mara (Lynn), Terrie Moseder (David), and Jimmy Mara. John’s Celebration of Life will be held at the Lafayette Veterans Memorial Center (3780 Mt. Diablo Blvd Lafayette, CA 94549) on Saturday July 8th from 2-5pm. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Stroke Association (www.stroke.org/en/). Celebration of Life: Saturday, July 8th from 2-5pm Lafayette Veterans Memorial Center 3780 Mt. Diablo Blvd Lafayette, CA 94549 Lafayette Veterans Memorial Center