Born into a family of artisans, John S. Sabatino was trained and encouraged to pursue his inclination toward architecture by his father, Felice, who was a master sculptor and the lead artisan for the Bryn Athyn Cathedral (located in Huntingdon Valley) for over 50 years. The elder Sabatino, an Italian immigrant, exposed his son to creative professionals because he entertained many architects and artisans in the family home in South Philadelphia . As a youngster, John was absorbed into the arts and his fascination with architecture became his ambition.

After graduating from Southeast Catholic High School in 1945, John enrolled in the architectural program at Drexel Institute of Technology's Evening College . While pursuing his degree at night, he worked for several prominent Philadelphia architectural firms during the day. Upon graduation from Drexel in 1951, he received a postgraduate scholarship for architectural studies at the school. In 1954, at the age of 26 John was officially registered by the PA State Board of Architects and started his own architectural firm.

The first project undertaken by the young architect was a new church and rectory building for Our Lady of Consolation Parish in the Tacony section of Philadelphia . The success of this project led the way to his continuing efforts to provide architectural services for countless parishes and institutions for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia .

In the years that followed, John became a well-respected, award winning architect whose works can be found at numerous institutions throughout the Delaware Valley . His commitment to Drexel's evening program was evident through his firm's participation in the co-op and internship programs. And his respect for the education and opportunities afforded him by Drexel prevailed as he constantly acknowledged Drexel's integral part in his success. He died in 1999 at the age of 71.

One of the highlights of his professional career was being awarded the contract to provide architectural services for improvements to the Creese - MacAlister Student Center Complex at Drexel University in the mid-1980s. This was the first architectural project completed on campus by a Drexel alumnus.

John was active in Drexel's Evening College Alumni Association, receiving awards from this group several times throughout his career. He was the first recipient of the Association's "Specialty Award" in 1970, recognizing his distinguished architectural career. This was followed by the "Key D Award" in 1979 for exemplary service to the Alumni Association, and then "The Mary S. Irick Drexel Award" in 1988 saluting John as an outstanding College alumnus. John was also a member of the Cross Keys Honorary Fraternity.

In addition to his well-respected architectural career, John Sabatino was an avid and accomplished watercolor artist. He combined his love of architecture with his artistic talent, presenting a watercolor of each project he designed to the owner when the project was completed. His works were exhibited in several shows throughout his career and hang in numerous private collections in the Philadelphia area.