John Benjamin Mattingly

Jan. 28, 1950

- Jan. 25, 2024

Mill Valley, CA

John Benjamin Mattingly, 73, of Mill Valley, California, died peacefully at his daughter’s home with his family by his side on Thursday, January 25, 2024.

John was born in Atlanta, GA, on January 28, 1950. He attended Marist High School and then the University of Virginia, where he was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He graduated in 1972 with a BA in English Literature. During the early 1970s, John served in the Air Force Reserve in Biloxi, MS, as a radio technician.

A whip-smart wordsmith, John began his career in advertising as a copywriter at Burton Campbell, then moved on to McCann Erickson in Atlanta, and then McCann in San Francisco. The Bay Area instantly captured his heart and he settled in Mill Valley in 1981, where he raised his two children alongside their mother, Ceil Mattingly. John enjoyed doing clever pro bono marketing for the Mill Valley PTA and coaching Little League. He could be found at nearly every Southern Marin Pop Warner football game in the early ‘90s, and was an obsessive fan of the 49ers.

John was revered in the advertising industry as a Copywriter, Creative Director, and Executive Creative Director at renowned global agencies where he created iconic campaigns for major brands including Del Monte, Nestle, Wells Fargo, Sega, and Bell South. He was awarded a Clio for more than one of his ads. Those lucky enough to work with John adored him. He was known for always taking the care and time to mentor junior staff. A respected leader throughout his career, he managed his teams with such a unique gentleness that he earned the tongue-in-cheek nickname of “Mad Dog.”

A die-hard fan of Bruce Springsteen, aka “The Boss,” John got a kick out of guest DJing on the SiriusXM E Street Radio channel. He was an avid hiker of Mt. Tam, passionate golfer, lifelong reader, and the most caring and supportive father and grandfather. John is survived by his children Laura Lee Mattingly and Benjamin Mattingly and his grandson Oliver Mattingly Moss. He was pre-deceased by his parents, his brother Edward Mattingly, and sister-in-law, Mitzie Mattingly. John is also survived by his siblings Sara (JoJo) Muir, George Mattingly, Thomas Mattingly, and Martha Payne, as well as Brian Moss, Katie Mattingly, Ceil Mattingly, Tony Muir, Connie Mattingly, Linda Mattingly, Houston Payne and his many beloved nieces, nephews, and friends—all of whom would sum up John with this simple phrase: “He was the kindest man we knew.”