[TN-Bird] Passing of Don Manning

From: <birder1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 12 Oct 2006 07:54:24 -0500
10/12/06
It is with a heavy heart that I regretfully inform the TN birding community 
that we have lost another member, Don Manning passed early on the morning of 
10/11/06 from a heart attack. Don's wife Nancy heard him fall at about 04:30 
yesterday morning. He had no pulse when she got to him, and Don never responded 
to prolonged CPR from her, or from attempts from EMT's to revive him. There is 
no doubt that he went suddenly and without suffering. He had been in good 
health, but had previous heart trouble including open heart surgery twelve 
years ago. In addition to his wife Nancy, Don is survived by two children, 
Brant and Kendra. 

Many of you reading this will know Don, but many no doubt won't as well. Don 
always kept up with TNBirds, though he didn't post. Don has been an important 
part of the TN birding community since the 60's, and was the person who got me 
interested in birds when I was a small child in the late 70's. Since I returned 
back to the birding scene in 2000, most of Don's birding in TN has been with 
me, and we've covered most of the state looking for birds at one time or 
another in these last six years. Don was involved in several important findings 
in TN over the years. Included in these are TN's 1st record of Hudsonian Godwit 
at Reelfoot Lake in 1971 (along with his 1st wife, Gina Manning), and TN's 1st 
and only record (and at the time only the 2nd ABA area record) of Variegated 
Flycatcher at Reelfoot Lake in 1984 (along with my father, Wallace Todd, and 
myself). 

In addition to birds, Don was passionate about all facets of nature. Don was 
one of those people that was just as knowledgeable about herps, trees, 
wildflowers, fish, butterflies, etc. as he was about birds. He was one of the 
foremost authorities in the nation, and particularly in the southeast, on 
Freshwater Mussels. He had spent considerable time on a number of rivers 
working with various wildlife and conservation agencies inventorying mussels. A 
small portion of his mussel collection is even currently housed at the 
Smithsonian Museum.

Don and I did a lot of traveling together over the last six years, hitting many 
of the ABA hotspots, including a couple of trips to the Lower Rio Grande 
Valley, as well as Minnesota, Florida, Dauphin Island, and most recently 
southern California earlier this year. We had talked about hitting TX next 
spring for Golden-cheeked Warbler and Black-capped Vireo and then over to Big 
Bend. I'm sure he's enjoying some of those birds as I write this. In addition 
to birding in the States, Don and Nancy made several trips to central America, 
and were especially fond of Belize. They had a trip to Ecuador in the works for 
early next year.

Don and I last talked and birded together last week, and he was very happy 
about the Clay-colored Sparrow near his house. Though this was the last new 
addition to his bird list, he's seen a lot of birds and been a lot of places. 
Though he didn't really officially keep up with his State list, he was always 
keen to go for a new bird, as several of our spur of the moment trips will 
attest! Don will always hold a very special place in the heart of all of us 
that knew him well. Jeff Wilson put it best when I called to let him know of 
Don's passing, Jeff said "You're not really gone until you're forgotten, and it 
will be a very long time until Don is forgotten" 

There will be no formal services for Don's passing. His wishes have always been 
to have his ashes spread at the Hatchie River and at their farm outside 
McKenzie. Don had spent countless hours over the years working the Hatchie 
River for mussels, and this was a very special place for him. So this is a very 
fitting place for his ashes to be laid to the wind.

Till we meet again Don.


Mike Todd
McKenzie, TN
birder1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
www.pbase.com/mctodd

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[TN-Bird] Passing of Don Manning

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