Robert E. Manning

Robert E. Manning, a resident of Mahopac and Carmel, NY since 1969 passed away on Palm Sunday, April 13, 2025 at the age of 97. He was born in Gloucester, Massachusetts on January 26, 1928, and was the loving son of Peter Manning and Esther Blackburn Manning.
Robert enlisted and served in the United States Army during WWII. Following his military service and Honorable Discharge, he went on to earn his Bachelor's Degree from Holy Cross College in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Bob was employed by Sears Roebuck and Co. in both America and Central America, living for 2 years in Panama and 10 years in El Salvador before returning to the United States. While in Putnam County, he took a position with the Mahopac Central School District, initially as a school bus driver and custodian before retiring as an Assistant Business Administrator for the district. When Bob was a custodian he would often take his lunch time to read to the Kindergartners and as a bus driver he would give everyone on his bus, a report card about their great behavior and asked to have it signed, even by their dog or cat!
Bob was a lover of all sports and was a lifelong fan of the Boston Red Sox. He was a catcher for a men's softball team in El Salvador. His true passion though would shine through when he refereed and umpired high school women's softball, volleyball and basketball all through Putnam and Westchester Counties. He also umpired, on the weekends, for men's softball leagues in Mahopac, Somers and Yorktown as well as for Special Olympics. Bob retired from these passions at the age of 93.
Bob also spent time volunteering at Rosary Hill Home in Hawthorne, New York. He would do anything to help the residents, even comforting the residents reading the Chaplet of Mercy to those who requested it. While a parishioner of St. John the Evangelist Church in Mahopac, he took great pride in lecturing. He also helped with the counting of the collections and was an active member of St. John's Men's Prayer Group.
On August 17, 1996 he married his love, Loretta Bachtig at St. John the Evangelist Church. In addition to Loretta he is survived by his daughter, Mary Wheeler (Kevin) of Amenia, NY; Loretta's daughters, Laura Viscome (Drake) of NC, Maureen Bachtig (Barry) of CT and Joetta Lisowski (Benjamin) of Fishkill, NY; grandchildren James Manning and Ayden Robert Wheeler, Brittany Sanford, Joseph Lisowski, Drake and Gregory Viscome and Jacob Hammons and great grandsons, Leo Viscome and Scott Sanford. Robert was predeceased by his first wife Joan and his sister, Phyllis Sinagra.
Visiting will be held on Monday, April 21 from 3-7 pm at Joseph J. Smith Funeral Home, Mahopac. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, April 22 at 11:30 am at St. John the Evangelist Church, Mahopac with entombment to follow at Rose Hills Memorial Park, Putnam Valley, NY.
Family and friends are making donations in memory of Bob to Putnam Recreation for the Handicapped https://www.prphny.org/about-us