John A. Supancic

68, formerly of Lincoln and Providence, RI, passed away on Sunday, August 21, 2022, at the Dawn Hill Care facility in Bristol, RI following a difficult battle with aggressive dementia.  John was born in Kingsville, Texas on September 15, 1953, the son of the late Clara (Claire) Supancic and Edward Supancic (USNA Class of 1948 and Naval Aviator).  John is survived by his twin brother Edward (North Kingston, RI) and his family and younger brother Carl (Bristol, RI) and his family.

Although born in Kingsville, Texas, John and the young Supancic family moved to Cranston, RI following dad Ed’s tragic active-duty fatal aircraft crash in 1955 while operating out of the Naval Air Station Kingsville with enormous assistance from Ed and Claire’s families.  After a few years in Cranston, John and family settled in the Washington Park section of Providence, where all 3 sons were raised and graduated from Central High School before advancing their educations and starting their careers, which in John’s case was to graduate from Rhode Island College with a degree in Studio Art and Photography and pursuing a career centered around his life-long love of photography and flight.

John began his professional photographer career in 1980, which initially included ~11 years with the Pawtucket Times, as well as several years with the Smithfield Observer, along with various freelance work, including wedding and event photography.  Along the way, John also dabbled in cross-country truck driving where he found a love of country music (although Beatles, Classical, Blues, and Classic Rock music were his favorites!) and new subjects and landscapes to photograph.  However, John’s professional career evolved into a ~40-year tenure at the Photography Department of the Rhode Island School of Design before retiring in 2020.  John genuinely loved his career at RISD and his relationships and interactions with the students and staff who he so devoted and generous to with his time an insight.

The pinnacle of John’s professional career and joy in life was reached in 1991 when he earned his pilot’s license and was an earth-bound photographer no more, just as his dad had become as another avid photographer who eventually flew and left photos behind that sparked that goal for John.  He flourished in his airborne photography, especially in the pre-drone era, winning many awards and was frequently published.  But his most exciting work was with the RI Air and Army National Guards, who John did many shoots with over the years, often flying with them and taking incredible shots, sometimes while being tethered to aft cargo doors while aircraft are following closely behind, and John has left us with an incredible collection to admire for the ages.

On the personal front, most who knew John well knew how caring and generous he always was, and what a love for life and adventure he had and shared.  He was devoted to his mom until her passing, as well as to his brothers and their families.  And those of us who enjoyed some sports with him knew how gifted he was in that domain, as he was an award-winning competitive darts thrower, table tennis player, and tennis player, as well as a horseman.  And there wasn’t anything competitive that John could not excel at if he cared to, and that includes driving, where he likely never lost a race, even if the other guy did not know they were racing!  His love of animals was also profound, and especially dogs, where John could have passed for a whisperer given what he could get even newly met dogs to do.

John was a great man with a great heart, mind, and legacy, and he will be sorely missed and never forgotten.

Please note that there will be no wake and that funeral services will be limited attendance to family and close friends.  If you care to, donations may be made in John’s name to the Alzheimer's Association ( https://act.alz.org/ ) or the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) ( https://secure.aspca.org/donate ).