Joseph M. Manning

With great sadness we announce the passing of Joseph M. Manning, 92, of Narragansett, Rhode Island. Joseph (Joe) died peacefully at home on March 20th, 2023 surrounded by his wife and family.

Joe was born on January 16th, 1931 in Cranston, RI to Lester Patrick and Anna Olga (Graham) Manning. Joe attended St. Paul’s school in Cranston before completing high school at La Salle Academy in Providence. After graduation, Joe enrolled at the University of Rhode Island as an engineering major. When the Korean War escalated, Joe dropped out of college to join the United States Air Force. He became a fighter pilot flying the new F-86 and F-89 aircraft. After flight training in Texas and Nevada, Joe flew fighter intercept missions from Thule Air Force Base in Greenland. Upon his discharge from active duty, Joe continued to serve as a fighter pilot for the Rhode Island and Virginia Air National Guard units. In 1954, Joe returned to the University of Rhode Island where he completed his civil engineering degree in June of 1956. Upon graduation, Joe joined the newly formed Federal Highway Administration and moved to Washington DC.

In Washington, DC, Joe met Anne Fannon of Alexandria, VA at a young Christian social mixer. They were married in November of 1958. The young couple lived in Cranston, RI, Arlington, VA, San Francisco, CA, and Livingston, NJ before settling in Wellesley, MA in 1966 to raise their family of four boys. Joe was a devoted husband and considered his 64 year marriage to Anne to be his proudest accomplishment. Joe was deeply involved in the lives of all his kids and a passionate cheerleader for them from the time they were born until his passing.

Joe pursued a career in transportation planning - the same profession his father had chosen. His father had told him that as long as the US population was growing there would always be jobs planning, building and maintaining highways. Joe worked for the Federal Highway Administration until launching his own consulting firm in 1968 – Urban Transportation Planning Associates. Joe loved working with his partners at UTSA and formed many lifelong friendships through this work. In the early 1980s, Joe sold the firm to Gordon Fay Associates and became the general manager of Bay Colony Railroad in Massachusetts and several other short line railroads before retiring in 1989.

After retiring, Joe found the calling that would define the last third of his life. As a deeply committed Christian, Joe felt a particular passion to become engaged in the pro-life movement. He was greatly encouraged by his sister-in-law, Diane Manning, in this endeavor. Diane was one of the early leaders in the Rhode Island pro-life movement. For the next 34 years, Joe was an active participant and volunteer in the right to life movement throughout New England. Joe worked many 50 hour weeks counseling and assisting women seeking financial and medical options to allow them to keep and raise their children. As an engaged and working 91-year old volunteer, Joe was an inspiration to many, many people. Joe was also an active and generous member and elder at the New Life Assembly Church in Charlestown, RI and an active member at The Freedom in Christ Church in Wakefield, RI.

Joe is preceded in death by his beloved brothers Lester of Narragansett, RI; Tom of Bonnet Shores, RI; Jack of Narragansett, RI and Honolulu, HI and his sister, Patricia of Providence, RI.

Joe is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Anne Fannon Manning, his four children, Chris of Columbia, MD; Ken of Atlanta, GA; Phil of East Greenwich, RI; and Matthew of Xenia, OH along with nine grandchildren and a host of other relatives and friends who loved him dearly.

A celebration of life service will be held in honor of Joe at Fagan-Quinn Funeral Home, 825 Boston Neck Road, North Kingstown, RI 02852 on Thursday, April 6th at 12:30pm. Following the service, a graveside burial will be conducted at the Rhode Island Veteran’s Cemetery, 301 South County Trail, Exeter, RI 02822.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Joe’s honor to either The Freedom in Christ Church, 10 High Street, Wakefield, RI 02879, or Rhode Island Right to Life Committee, 266 Smith Street, Providence, RI 02908.