John David Scheib

John David Scheib, Sr., 88, passed away peacefully and with family by his side on March 5, 2026, in Hartford, Connecticut. John was born June 17, 1937, in Reading, Pennsylvania to John Scheib, Jr., and Edna Heffner Scheib, where he lived his early years and graduated Reading High School in 1955. He served in the United States Air Force where he became a fire-fighter while stationed on the island of Guam. He attended Oklahoma State University in their Fire Protection Engineering programming, which led to his career path at Industrial Risk Insurers (IRI) where he helped the company expand internationally in overseeing their global operations. John began working in New York City early in his career, switching allegiance to the New York Giants and New York Yankees as an avid sports fan. John met Beatrice Mannion in the late 1960’s. They were married August 11, 1968, in Queens, NY and moved to West Sayville on Long Island to start their life together. They would soon relocate to IRI’s headquarters in Connecticut and move to West Hartford, welcoming their children. In 1974, IRI offered John the opportunity to oversee international office operations based in Bruxelles, Belgium, and the family lived there for a three-year period, enjoying many European travels. The family returned to West Hartford in 1977, where they joined St. Thomas the Apostle parish. John had a life-long passion for learning and would continue his studies in the evening at the University of Hartford, achieving degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Business Administration. He’d continue to oversee IRI’s international offices, which included extensive international travel, often sharing those experiences with family. The family continued to enjoy camping adventures together and developed a fondness for alpine skiing, joining the Hartford Ski Club, and serving a term as president. He would delight and consistently support his children’s and grandchildren’s achievements, encouraging their diverse pursuits and cheering from the sidelines. He happily traded the side of a ski slope in one generation for a seat by the pool in the next generation. A unique treasure in John’s life was a 1932 Buick 57-S that he inherited from his father. After many years in storage in the family garage, he began the restoration process and joined the Buick Club of America, Yankee Chapter, becoming an avid member of the club where he led planning efforts for both local and national events. His “fleet” of classic Buick cars grew to include a 1968 Riviera and a pair of 1990 Reatta. John is survived by his loving and devoted wife, Beatrice Mannion Scheib, his sister, Linda Lyzakowski, of Kansas City, MO, his children John D. Scheib, Jr., and his wife, Cyntha Kaplan, of South Windsor, CT and Catherine Scheib Skarzynski, and her husband, Andrew John Skarzynski, of West Hartford, CT, and his grandchildren, Caitlin Aine Skarzynski, Connor John Skarzynski, and Alexandra Marie Scheib, Jordan Elizabeth Murdy and Augustus John Murdy. Funeral services will be held Saturday, March 14, 2026, beginning with visitation at 9:00 a.m. at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in West Hartford, 872 Farmington Ave West Hartford, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m. The family wishes to thank the Trinity Healthcare system and St. Francis Hospital for years of support, from medical breakthroughs to compassionate care over many recent years. In lieu of flowers, donations in his honor can be made to St. Thomas the Apostle Church or to the Klingberg Automotive Restoration Program.