Greensburg machinist loved golfing, children

Denise Engler says her father, John Raynor, never got tired of children.

“He’d take off work for Halloween so he could give out candy,” said Engler, a Greensburg resident. “If there was a holiday dinner coming up, he’d always ask, ‘Are there kids coming?’ He loved children and went out of his way for my children and anything to do with kids.”

John “Jack” “Shine” Raynor of Greensburg died of natural causes Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019. He was 90.

Mr. Raynor was born Dec. 28, 1928, in Swissvale, a son of the late Anna (Elchick) and William Raynor. He grew up in Manor as one of eight children.

“They were kind of that stereotypical biggest family in town,” Engler said.

Mr. Raynor served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army, and was deployed to Korea during the Korean War, where was a culinary specialist.

“He used to tell me stories about how the Koreans would come around,” Engler said. “They’d always ask about the eggs, but he couldn’t give them away because they were for the U.S. soldiers.”

After returning home from the war, Mr. Raynor began a career as a mechanic and worked as a machinist for Hanlon Wilson, ASG and Jeannette Sheet Glass.

In his spare time, you could find him on the links.

“It was all about golf, he lived for it,” Engler said. Mr. Raynor also volunteered at Mt. Odin Golf Course.

Mr. Raynor’s family described him as a jack-of-all-trades and he was known in family circles as “Mr. Fix It.”

That ability even extended to his own health: Mr. Raynor survived six separate bouts with cancer, Engler said.

Mr. Raynor had a chance to revisit his childhood in the spring of 2019, when a painting he created as a Manor School student was discovered in the basement of Hempfield Area High School.

Mr. Raynor, who had recently turned 90, did not recall creating the painting, but recognized his signature in the corner.

And even though he may not have remembered the painting, Mr. Raynor never forgot his friends.

“We went on Wednesday last week to have sutures removed, and when we went out, he always had to stop and visit friends,” she said. “He was just so kind, generous and humble.”

Mr. Raynor is survived by his daughter Denise Engler and husband Dan, and daughter Pam Shirey and Joel Maline; grandchildren, Matthew, Jason, Josh, Chrissy, Nic, Katie, Jacie and Ryan; and seven great-grandchildren.

An 11 a.m. funeral service will take place at Kepple-Graft Funeral Home, 524 N. Main St., Greensburg, with interment to follow in Westmoreland County Memorial Park.