![]()
JOHN R. SERAFIN Passed peacefully in Venice, Florida, on January 14, 2020, surrounded by his family. Born in Trafford, Pennsylvania, the youngest child of Stanley and Mary Serafin. Polish was his first language. John grew up with the incredible work ethic of first-generation Polish immigrants. As a youngster, he was a paperboy working the morning and evening routes, to help his family make ends meet. He played football, baseball and ran track for Trafford high school - sometimes simultaneously. He was known to be batting during one inning and then dashing over to a race in between. A talented athlete, including Pennsylvania State Sprinter Champion, John received football scholarship offers from Clemson, Tulane and the University of Tennessee. Branch Rickey offered him a spot to play with the Pittsburgh Pirates farm team, despite wearing his rag-tag uniform when everyone else had proper uniforms. Instead, he chose a track scholarship at the University of Pittsburgh, so he could stay close to his family. After two years at Pitt, he enlisted in the Air Force spending time in South Carolina, Texas, and Japan. Thus began a life of travel and adventure! He returned to Trafford with a handsome wardrobe of custom suits and monogrammed shirts from Tokyo and amazing stories that won the attention and heart of Mary Lou Patla. They married in 1960 and settled in Trafford, where he was active in the St. Regis parish and a member of the Rotary International. After graduating from Pitt with a degree in geology, he took the world by storm. At his first job with D'Appolonia Consulting Engineers in Pittsburgh, John worked tirelessly and became a trusted advisor. As lead engineering geologist, he ran complicated domestic and international projects, including the construction of nuclear power plants, dams, and steel mills. His work took him on extended posts on four continents over the years. Always curious, John dove into learning new things. One such hobby was wine and beer making. He turned that hobby into a business when, in 1972, he opened Master Wine Makers in the Monroeville Mall. He would stop by the store on the weekends and evenings to charm customers, engrave wine glasses, and make new friends. The next chapter took the family to LaGrange, Illinois, where he continued his career at Woodward Clyde/URS in Chicago and later in environmental remediation. He fully embraced his new city and loved finding nooks, crannies and pierogis throughout the city. His hard work and ingenuity transformed the true fixer-upper house they purchased into a beautiful home, thus passing many lessons to his children, Diane and John, along the way. After retirement, he fulfilled his dream of "shoveling sunshine" in Nokomis, Florida. There he could be found in the community garden, taking yoga classes, or attending Epiphany Cathedral Catholic church. Life changed in 2007 when he suffered a stroke. Although there were physical obstacles, he overcome them with dedication, humor, and positivity. John could talk to anyone and his smile could win over even the grumpiest of people. His perpetually upbeat and encouraging outlook was a source of inspiration. And his silly jokes would never cease to make his family smile and roll their eyes and new friends giggle. His wife of 59 years, Mary Lou will miss him terribly, as will his daughter, Diane Viton (Rick), his son, John (Lenyr Munoz) and his grandchildren, Abby and Adler Viton. His family will always remember his advice: If you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours. A Funeral Mass will be held on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. at Epiphany Cathedral in Venice, Florida. FARLEY FUNERAL HOME in Venice is in charge of arrangements. Send condolences post-gazette.com/gb
