from the November 13, 1996 issue of The Country Chronicle
Danville, VT–Phillip E. Manning, 89, died Nov. 5, 1996 at the Hanover Terrace Healthcare. He was born May 9, 1907 and was surrounded by the love of his family of caregivers and his own family including his wife of 64 years, Joann Tewksbury Manning, (now of The Greens, 53 1/2 Lyme Rd in Hanover); his daughter Phyllis and husband Winston Ellis (of Newbury, VT and Burnt Hills, NY); and his daughter, Maureen and husband Dr. “Pete” Hall (of Hanover) and several of his grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Phil grew up in Worcester, MA, one of six children in the family Emily and Leon Manning. He became a Vermonter in 1925 when he entered the UVM, graduating in 1930. he has been active in Phi Mu Delta, the Masonic Lodge, Eastern Star, the Retired Teacher Association, Methodist and Congregational churches. During the winter seasons, in his retirement years in Eldorado Park, Largo, FL, he did hospital volunteer work and was active in park activities.
Phil Manning gave his life touching the lives of others. As principal, teacher and coach in the Vermont communities of Johnson, Newbury, Danville, Bakersfield, Swanton, S. Royalton and Canaan he created a place for the young to learn about the world and themselves.
As parent of two, grandparent of eight (Jodi, Barbara, Tim and Stephen Ellis; and Susan (Arnold), Matt, Fred and Betsy Hall), great grandparent of eleven and uncle of many, he was a fun-loving, courageous and caring role model. As a friend and person he had a gift of creating community wherever he was as he reached out to others with his greetings, his cards, his hugs and hug coupons, his songs, his very sincere expression of gratitude and his sense of humor. He was a great athlete and his daughters and his wife think an even greater dancer. But most of all for 68 years, since meeting at UVM, he loved his sweetheart, Joanna. He was an example of courage, and his ever-deepening faith carried him…all the way.
His memorial service was in Danville, Vermont, the community that taught both Joanna and Phil to teach and welcomed them back “home” in 1970. The service was at the Danville Congregational Church on Saturday, Nov. 9, at 2 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be given to the church or charity of choice, Youth-in-Action, Inc. Outreach, PO Box 445, Hanover, NH 03755, or Danville School, attention: The Manning Helping Hands Award, Danville, VT, 05828.
Funeral arrangements were under the direction of the Rand-Wilson Funeral Home of Hanover, NH.