James Kinneman Manley's Obituary
James (Jim) Kinneman Manley died on Saturday, November 4, 2023, in Dallas, Texas. He was born at home in Farmington, Missouri on June 22, 1924, son of the late Henry and Madia Manley. He is preceded in death by his wife Audrey Manley and by his siblings Robert Manley, Mary Crouch, Jack Manley, Helen Nicholson, Bess Cebe, Betty Manley, and Alice Clark.
Jim was on the tennis team in high school and won a regional championship trophy his senior year. After graduating from high school, during World War II, he enlisted in the Navy serving as a Communications Officer in the Pacific Theater on board a cargo ship. While fighting on Iwo Jima continued, he served as an on-shore Communication Officer, directing communications between the islands and ships serving the troops on the islands of Iwo Jima and later on Okinawa.
After he was discharged from the navy following the end of World War II, he earned a degree in Accounting from Washington University in St. Louis, where he met his future wife, Audrey Heurermann. With that degree and having just married, the two of them moved to Dallas, Texas to begin the next stage of life together. In Dallas, he earned his CPA license and worked as the accountant first for Howard Van Lines, then with Zelrich Steel Company and finally Briggs Weaver Industrial Equipment Company. After retiring from Briggs Weaver, Jim followed his dream of entering private practice as a CPA and often said it was his best work decision.
He spent many hours walking and was an avid golf player. He loved reading fiction books, often making weekly visits to the local library in search of new books. He closely followed the Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers, and Dallas Mavericks and he had the joy of experiencing the Rangers World Series win before he died.
His son Jim and daughter Susan have always been the center of his life and he tried to attend any activity they were involved in and helped them in any way that he could.
Jim was always involved in church and community projects. He was a member of Northwest Bible Church in Dallas for 40 years, where he and Audry started a Bible study group at their home that met for 32 years. He also served as an Elder at the church.
He is survived by his children, Jim Manley of Dallas and Susan Campion (Bill) of Dallas; grandchildren Christy Manley, James Manley (Jami), Tricia Hooper (David), Rob Manley (Leah), Matt Leaverton (Charley), Loren Silas (Michael), and Clay Leaverton; great-grandchildren Wyatt Rather, Mason and Mallie Manley, London and Jaxon Hooper, Dylan, Jessie, Charlie and Luke Leaverton, Landry and Knox Silas, and Presley Leaverton and numerous cousins and friends.
Burial with military honors will take place at Restland Memorial Park on Sunday, November 12, 2023, at one o’clock in the afternoon.
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