Brian Paul Manion

1980 - 2019

Brian Paul Manion

Brian Paul Manion, aged 39, passed away peacefully at home with his family on 19 December 2019. He was born on 4 February 1980 in Wisconsin, son of Patrick Manion and Nancy Manion. Brian is survived by his loving parents; Grandfather, Patrick Manion Sr.; three sisters, Katherine, Megan, and Natalie; two brothers-in-law, Kelly and Colin; two nieces; and beloved dog, Capone. He was partnered and married to Samantha Williams for seven years and they remained close. Brian loved being on the water. He adored music and playing guitar. And he was devoted to his friends and family, who will miss him terribly and remember him always.

Brian's passion for business, innovative ideas, and people led him to success in whatever he did. The motto of all who did business with Brian was "never bet against Manion"—even if the odds seemed impossible. When Brian decided something, he would never quit and, if you were his partner, he carried that same drive to your partnership. His enthusiasm for business was infused with his love for people, which led him to constantly build relationships among colleagues and friends.

Throughout his life, Brian was a successful developer and investor in real estate and the energy sector across the United States. Brian's transition from focusing solely on real estate development and investment into the energy sector was initiated by his founding investment in Northern Oil and Gas in Minnesota (2006), which became a highly successful publicly traded company in the Bakken Shale. He immediately loved the business and made Dallas, Texas his home where met his mentor and friend, Tom Kelly (TK). Brian's achievements and dedication ultimately led him to found Paradigm, which expanded investments in Eagle Ford Shale and the Scoop Stack in Oklahoma. He was the Founding Partner and subsequently President and CEO of Valor Petroleum from 2011to 2015; in 2017 Brian co-founded Origin Royalty with his partner and friend Tim Furlong, which still operates today purchasing mineral interests in Bakken Shale in North Dakota.

His investments in the hospitality industry were equally successful. After becoming a founding partner and investor of the Bowl & Barrel (2011 to present), Brian became the sole initial investor in and a founding partner of the Rustic in Dallas with Pat Green and others. To date, the success of the Rustic, as one of the first restaurant and music venues of its kind in the city, has led to its expansion to San Antonio and Houston. This was an exercise of his passion for business innovation in equal parts with his love for music and hospitality.

A memorial will follow in Spring 2020.