Geraldine Ann Manning

Born October 5, 1941 in Agana, Guam, Geri was born during WWII and was a survivor of the Japanese occupation along with her parents, Sixta Roberto and Henry Bell, and 7 brothers and sisters. Geri enjoyed her childhood on the island. Upon graduation from Guam's George Washington High School, she began her 33 year-long career with the U.S. Department of Defense at the Naval Ship Repair Facility. She married Navy deep sea diver Thomas Wolfe with whom she had two daughters, Gina and Lisa and moved to Washington, D.C. After his tragic death, she continued her career with DoD, and also worked for a short time for Ford Motor Co. where she met and later married Kenneth Manning on June 1, 1968. They made their first home together in Annandale, VA and then moved to Potomac, MD in 1974. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from The American University and later in her career earned a Doctorate in Education from The George Washington University. Geri worked as VP of Academic Programs at Defense Business Management University. She also worked under the DoD Comptroller and held various positions at Perot Systems and Deloitte. After retirement, Geri enjoyed traveling and volunteered her time as a Eucharistic Minister and Sacristan at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church. Geri and Ken recently built a winter home in Amelia Island, FL.

She is survived by her beloved husband, Ken, daughter Lisa Gannon of Rockville, MD, sisters Barbara Corliss of Clarksburg, MD, Norma Libert of Fairfield, CT and Ethel Dessert of Arlington, WA, brother David Bell of Agana, Guam, grandchildren Harry Hixon of Seattle, WA, Colleen, Victor and Curtis Gannon of Rockville, MD, and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her daughter Gina Manning, brothers George Bell and Eric Bell of Agana, Guam, and sister Leaphia Bell of Hawaii.

Relatives and friends are invited to call at Joseph Gawler's Sons, Inc, 5130 Wisconsin Ave, NW (corner of Harrison Street), Washington, DC on Thursday, April 20, 2017 from 5 – 8pm or Mass of Christian Burial which will be held at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church, 9200 Kentsdale Drive, Potomac, MD on Friday, April 21, 2017 at 11am. Interment immediately follows at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, 13801 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring, MD. Gifts of flowers are appreciated or, in lieu of flowers contributions to Hospice Cup, Inc. at hospicecup.org

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Eulogy presented by Geri's sister, Norma Libert:

A TRIBUTE TO MY SISTER GERI MANNING

APRIL 21, 2016

GERI WAS THE FOURTH OF EIGHT SIBLINGS AND ONE OF FIVE GIRLS ALL BORN ON THE ISLAND OF GUAM IN THE WESTERN

PACIFIC. SHE WAS BORN BEFORE WWII BUT GERI HAD NO MEMORY OF THE WAR BECAUSE SHE WAS VERY YOUNG BUT OUR

MOTHER HAD A LOT TO TELL HER CHILDREN ABOUT THE FAMILY’S EXPERIENCES SUCH AS RUNNING FROM VILLAGE TO VILLAGE TO

GET AWAY FROM THE BOMBINGS AND THEN LATER STANDING IN LINE TO GET THE FAMILY’S RATION OF FOOD. AT ONE TIME OUR

FATHER WAS CAPTURED AND TAKEN AWAY BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT THAT HE WAS AN AMERICAN. HE WAS FAIR-SKINNED,

HAD WAVY HAIR AND FRECKLES. OUR PATERNAL GRANDFATHER’S FAMILY WAS FROM IRELAND ORIGINALLY THEN

THEY SETTLED IN QUEBEC. OUR GRANDFATHER JOINED THE U.S. NAVY IN BUFFALO, NY, WHERE HE GOT ON A SHIP THAT STOPPED

ON GUAM WHERE HE MARRIED MY GRANDMOTHER WHO WAS PART SPANISH. GUAM WAS UNDER THE SPANISH RULE FOR

ABOUT 300 YEARS.

GERI AND I AND OUR SIBLINGS ATTENDED AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THAT WAS LOCATED IN OUR VILLAGE OF AGANA

HEIGHTS. THE SCHOOL WAS ABOUT 1/2 MILE FROM OUR HOUSE. THERE WAS NO BUS OR CAR SO WE WALKED TO AND FROM

SCHOOL EVERY DAY. OUR PATERNAL GRANDMOTHER’S HOUSE WAS ON THE WAY AND WE STOPPED TO VISIT HER ALMOST EVERY

DAY AFTER SCHOOL. SHE WAS A WONDERFUL GRANDMOTHER WHO TOOK GOOD CARE OF US. SHE LOVED IT WHEN WE

BRUSHED HER VERY LONG HAIR. WE ATTENDED GEORGE WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL IN A VILLAGE

CALLED MONGMONG. THE SCHOOL CONSISTED OF 10-12 QUONSET HUTS THAT WERE USED BY THE MILITARY TO STORE

EQUIPMENT DURING THE WAR. HAVING GROWN UP ON THE TROPICAL ISLAND ALL OUR LIVES, WE DID NOT KNOW WHAT IT

WAS LIKE TO HAVE AIR-CONDITIONING. THE QUONSET HUTS WERE HOT AND HUMID BUT THERE WERE NO COMPLAINTS.

MY SISTER BOBBIE AND GERI WERE VERY CLOSE DURING THE HIGH SCHOOL YEARS. THEY LOVED PARTIES AND DANCING.

DURING LUNCH HOUR THEY WENT TO THE SCHOOL GYM WHERE THERE WAS USUALLY A LIVE BAND. THEY ALSO WENT TO

BIRTHDAY PARTIES TOGETHER. IT WAS NOT A BIRTHDAY PARTY IF THERE WAS NO LIVE BAND. GERI HAD A LOT OF TALENTS. ONE IS

HER VOICE. SHE SANG WITH A LIVE BAND IN FRONT OF LARGE AUDIENCES.

GUAM WAS HIT BY TYPHOONS PERIODICALLY. I REMEMBER GERI AND THE REST OF THE FAMILY GOING TO THE NAVAL HOSPITAL

NEARBY OR TO A RELATIVE’S UNDERGROUND BUNKER TO AVOID THE DEVASTATION CREATED BY TYPHOONS. DURING ONE

TYPHOON, OUR HOUSE WAS BLOWN OFF ITS FOUNDATION; THERE WAS NO RUNNING WATER SO OUR MOTHER AND OTHERS WENT

DOWN TO THE RIVER TO WASH OUR CLOTHES. OUR OLDER BROTHERS HUSKED COCONUTS AND MOM USED THEM IN

COOKING OVER AN OUTDOOR OPEN FIRE. WE HAD CHICKEN AND EGGS IN THE BACKYARD. OCCASIONALLY OUR BROTHER

GEORGE WOULD BRING A PIG HOME. IT FELT VERY STRANGE WHEN GERI MARRIED TOM AND MOVED

OUT OF THE HOUSE. BUT WE GOT TOGETHER AND WENT TO THE BEACH PERIODICALLY. WE SAT ON THE BEACH, LOOKED AT THE

PACIFIC OCEAN AND WONDERED WHAT IT WAS LIKE ON THE OTHER SIDE.

WHILE STILL ON GUAM, GINA WAS BORN - GERI’S BEAUTIFUL FIRST DAUGHTER. THEN THEY LEFT GUAM AND MOVED TO

WASHINGTON, D.C. I LEFT OREGON AND WENT TO LIVE WITH GERI. TOM HAD ALREADY PASSED AWAY. AT THE TIME GERI WAS

EXPECTING THEIR SECOND DAUGHER LISA. WHEN LISA WAS AN INFANT, SHE WAS CARED FOR BY OUR COUSIN ISABEL. I

REMEMBER ISABEL WHEN WE WERE GROWING UP ON GUAM. SHE WAS QUITE A BIT OLDER THAN US AND WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME

AT HER HOUSE WHERE SHE PAMPERED US WITH LOTS OF LOVE AND DELICIOUS MEALS. SHE ACTUALLY TUTORED GERI. GERI

WAS A STRAIGHT “A” STUDENT IN HIGH SCHOOL. GERI, GINA AND I LEFT D.C AND MOVED TO THE CARDINAL HOUSE IN ARLINGTON. WE BECAME CLOSER SISTERS. GERI WAS SUCH A CARING PERSON AND A TERRIFIC SISTER. SHE WOULD DO

ANYTHING TO HELP ME AND OTHERS WHEN HELP WAS NEEDED. IT WAS LATER THAT GERI AND KEN MET AND FELL IN LOVE. THEY

WERE GETTING MARRIED. ANDRE AND I WERE LIVING IN SAUDI ARABIA AT THAT TIME AND I WAS FIVE MONTHS PREGNANT WITH

OUR FIRST DAUGHTER DENISE. WE FLEW FROM SAUDI ARABIA TO THE HOUSE IN ANNANDALE WHERE WE HELPED GERI GET

DRESSED FOR THE WEDDING. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL WEDDING AND GERI WAS VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE FOUND A WONDERFUL,

KIND AND LOVING HUSBAND. THEY WERE GREAT TOGETHER. SHE COULDN’T HAVE FOUND ANYONE BETTER THAN KEN.

WE LEFT SAUDI ARABIA AND CAME BACK TO VIRGINIA WHERE WE STAYED WITH KEN AND GERI AT THEIR ANNANDALE HOME FOR

SEVERAL WEEKS IF NOT MONTHS UNTIL WE FOUND A PLACE TO LIVE. OUR FAMILIES SPENT MANY HOLIDAYS AND OTHER SPECIAL

OCCASIONS TOGETHER OVER THE YEARS. GERI, WE MISS YOU MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY. WE ARE NOT

READY FOR YOU TO LEAVE US. BUT THERE IS COMFORT IN THAT YOU ARE IN A BEAUTIFUL PLACE, UNITED WITH FAMILY AND

FRIENDS (AND PETS) WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE YOU.

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Eulogy presented by Geri's husband, Ken:

Geri is the love of my life. We are two halves of a single being

She, not me, was the leader of our extended family, offering love and support to her family here and in Guam as well as mine

I am an only child and I marveled at gatherings of the Bell Family both here and when we traveled to Guam. Those outings often numbered in the dozens as I often observed: everyone in Guam is related - I was envious.

Without her, I could have never started and grown the successful business of TCG. In the early years she supported me and my efforts with her own salary, efforts and, I am sure, her prayers.

Geri suffered multiple tragedies during her all too short life:

- Growing up in Guam, first under the Japanese Occupation – literally in a cave and then, with the death of her Dad, in poverty.

- There is a monument above Agat Beach, similar to the Vietnam memorial here. Geri and her family are listed as survivors.

- The untimely death of her husband, Tom Wolfe, here in DC left her alone with 16 month old Gina and pregnant with Lisa.

- The death of our daughter, Gina in 1999, due to Breast Cancer.

But, she persevered

She is a strong , determined and beautiful woman in many ways –

- Getting a Doctorate while working full time for the DoD Comptroller

- Having a hand in starting the Defense Business Management University

- Being in the leadership of the American Society of Military Comptrollers and preparing the program for their massive 3000 person Annual Meetings (4-5

plenary speakers and over 70 breakout sessions)

after retiring from DoD, Perot Systems and Deloitte, she began volunteering at this church: as Eucharistic Minister and as Sacristan

Yet with all this, she managed to raise a wonderful family and even keep me in tow – I am beyond ADHD, I am ADOS (Attention Deficit Oh! Squirrel)

She is my Joan of Arc, my Margaret Thatcher, my EVERYTHING

As John Newton says in Amazing Grace, I an lost, I am blind by her passing.

We had a nearly perfect life together and looked forward to many more years with friends and family both here and at our new home in Amelia Island, Florida.

It was perfect – just perfect