John Joseph Kienast

Jay was born August 14, 1947 to Jane and Joseph Kienast in The Bronx, New York. He graduated from Sayville High School on Long Island in 1965. Jay received a Bachelor degree in mathematics from C.W. Post University and a Masters degree in mathematics from Stony Brook University in New York.

Jay taught math and physics in high schools and college on Long Island, Aspen and the St. Petersburg area. His career moved into software engineering and database consulting at Grumman, Informix, IBM and KPMG. During his tenure at Grumman, he worked as a junior engineer on the Apollo space program.

Jay moved to St. Petersburg, Florida in the summer of 1997. He met Laura Lake two weeks after his arrival. They were an amazing couple who enjoyed twenty-eight years of lively conversation, tennis, sailing and the love of baseball. Together they went on to navigate life’s most challenging problems together.

In Jay’s later years he became a published author under the pen name Sandy Mason. Jay authored 10 novels in a series titled The Johnny Donohue Adventures. Each adventure started on Florida’s west coast many times leading Johnny Donohue back to Long Island solving some crime. He was working on his 11th book at the time of his passing. The title…Final Voyage.

Jay loved living in Isla del Sol overlooking Boca Ciega Bay. He would often begin his mornings from the balcony proclaiming “People of Isla, Arise!” He volunteered in many venues and, of late, loved helping with the youth tennis program at Isla Del Sol Yacht and Country Club. But his greatest love was his family.

Jay is survived by his wife Laura, his daughter Allison Kienast de Onis and son-in-law Lou de Onis, three granddaughters, Emily de Onis, Katie de Onis and Lily de Onis, and three sisters, Jean Warren, Joan Pfeiffer and Karen Milillo. John was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters Patricia Alas and Virginia O’Sullivan. Jay was a much-loved uncle to nineteen nieces and nephews.