John L. Manear

MANEAR, John Age 80, of passed away peacefully on June 3, 2022. John was the only surviving child of the late Ruth Rogers and Lawrence Manear, was born in Grafton West Virginia on November 16, 1941. He was a graduate of La Salle University (B.A., 1964) and the University of Pittsburgh (M.A., 1968). Since 1964, he taught English at Seton-La Salle High School (formerly South Hills Castholic) in Mt. Lebanon, with the exception of two years at Bishop Boyle High School, Homestead (1966-1968), and Tresper Clark High School, East Meadow, NY (1968-1969). He served as English Department Chair at Seton-La Salle since 1979, and as the English Secondary Coordinator for the Diocese of Pittsburgh since 1975. From 1970-1994, he served as a volunteer instructor for the University of Pittsburgh in the degree program at Western State Correctional Institution, serving as the "English Department" for over a hundred inmates who received their degrees while serving their time. He was active in various professional organizations for many years. He served as the Executive Director for Catholic Audio-Visual Educators from 1979 to 1994, organizing national media workshops and organizing a film festival each year in conjunction with the National Catholic Educational Association's annual convention. He served in various capacities in the National Council of Teachers of English, attending the national convention each year since 1971, holding office in the Secondary Section, and serving as the chair of various conventions, including the ones in Pittsburgh in 1993 and 2005. He was a member of the Conference of English Leadership. He was also active in the local affiliate (WPCTE), serving two terms as President and as Executive Director since 1985.In this capacity he organized workshops and conferences, published the organization's newsletter and maintained its website. He also coordinated WPCTE's English festivals since 1993, which involved over two thousand student participants from over seventy area schools. He was also a member of the Popular Culture Association, the International Emily Dickinson Society, the Young Adult Literature Association, and the American Literature Association. He was the recipient of various academic fellowships and grants, including two from the national Endowment for the Humanities, one for independent study of Emily Dickinson and one to attend a seminar on John Milton's Paradise Lost. He is the author of three teaching guides for Advanced Placement English (Center for Learning) and a book on teaching the poetry of Emily Dickinson. Funeral arrangements are private. Please make all memorial contributions to the Tuition Assistance Program at Seton-La Salle high school. Professional services trusted to D'ALESSANDRO FUNERAL HOME & CREMATORY LTD., Lawrenceville. www.dalessandroltd.com.

John L. Manear

November 16, 1941 - June 3, 2022