Obituary of John S Nacincik

On March 16 John S. Nacincik, a beloved husband and father, passed away in Venice, Florida after a long illness at the age of 89. A native of Brooklyn, New York City, John was born on December 8, 1933. He joined the U.S. Navy after graduating from high school and received an honorable discharge. After the Navy John enrolled at the University of Maryland at College Park, Maryland. At the University of Maryland, he played on the men’s basketball team as a starting guard including when Maryland won their first ACC Championship title in 1958; Maryland defeated North Carolina 86-74. He remained a fan and supporter of Maryland’s basketball program his entire life.  After graduation, he settled in Baltimore County Maryland beginning his long association with the state, and played professional basketball. John was drafted in the 1958 NBA Draft by the Syracuse Nationals. He played in the Eastern Professional Basketball League for the Syracuse Nationals (now the Philadelphia 76ers), Baltimore Bullets (now the Washington Wizards), and the Allentown Jets. John was an entrepreneur and headed a successful small business after his professional basketball career until his retirement in 1993. An avid outdoorsman he enjoyed hunting, fishing, golfing, and running a small family farm that was his labor of love, while he worked professionally and into retirement. In 2013 he moved to Venice, Florida, enjoying the warm weather, sunshine, golfing, and local fishing. He is survived by his wife Dixie, daughter Beth Anne, son Michael, daughter-in-law Yuan, and grandchildren David, Jennifer, Joseph, and Vincent. A private ceremony is planned at Sarasota National Cemetery in southwestern Florida.