John Robert Manning

John Robert Manning 38 of Bogart, GA, passed away November 17, 2024. He was the son of Mark S. & Janet Manning. He was preceded by his paternal grandmother, Martha S. Manning, and maternal grandmother, Josephine F. Cook.

Funeral Services are Friday, November 22, 2024, at 3:00 PM at Oconee Chapel 2370 Hwy 53, Watkinsville, GA 30677. The family will visit from 2:00 PM to service time. The interment will be in the Oconee Memorial Park.

Survivors in addition to his mother and father are his son, Aiden Manning; brother, Benjamin Thomas (Heather) Manning; two nephews, James Manning, and Henry Manning.

John is our beloved son. We always marveled at how handsome, athletic, and charismatic he was.He took pride in keeping fit and having a perfectly sculpted body. He could play any sport with ease because of his agility and coordination. He enjoyed playing tennis with his brother, Ben, and pickle ball with Mark. He loved to laugh and hang out with friends. He had such a tender heart which was evident in his love of animals and his family. He idolized his brother, Ben, and thought he was one of the smartest people in the world. John was proud of his son, Aiden, and frequently spoke about how smart he is and how he is a computer whiz. John felt that he was “technologically illiterate”, his words. John was very courteous and helpful. He always thanked me for cooking a meal and he helped Mark with yard work whenever asked. Mark may have had to do some prodding on the yard work but John eventually got it done completely. John loved us deeply and worried a lot about our health and safety. John was a thrill seeker which showed up in his love of fast motorcycles and sports cars in his 20’s and 30’s. Stunt bikes and skateboards were his passion in his younger years. He went skydiving several times and loved it. John could talk us into almost anything because of his willpower and his persistence. He had a great come-back for every reason we gave him why he should or shouldn’t do something. John struggled with ADHD, anxiety disorder, and depression which took a tole on his life, although he gave his demons a good fight. He was very headstrong (maybe even stubborn) which was a good thing when tackling tasks such as reassembling a crashed motorcycle (yes, he crashed it), but being headstrong was also a detriment in him thinking he could fix his own mental problems. He didn’t want to ask for help because it was embarrassing and showed weakness. We loved him dearly and should have told him that more often. We will miss him more than words can say. He will always be with us in our cherished memories of fun times together and in his adored son, our grandson, Aiden.

 Janet and Mark Manning

In lieu of flowers, because John loved animals please consider donating to ASPCA, https://www.aspca.org/

Lord & Stephens Funeral Homes, Oconee Chapel, Watkinsville, GA is in charge of arrangements.