Crowell Brothers Funeral Home

Sometimes that involved dressing up as a superhero, but that was no problem for Manning, a natural storyteller, who might deliver his Bible stories while decked out in a red cape and a superman costume. If longtime pastor Laurence McCullough had to compete for attention, well, he did so in good humor.“We would come home from church,” said McCullough, “and I’d ask, ‘Did I do OK today?’ and my children would ask ‘Did you hear Mr. Manning? Did you see what he did? Wasn’t he incredible? Mr. Manning is awesome!’ It was all very friendly, and my children ended up not hating church as preacher’s kids will, mainly because of John Manning.”Manning, 70, died Saturday, as he helped an elderly woman who had been evicted from her home. Recommended for you Recommended for you Recommended for you John Manning (center) enjoyed time at the beach with his daughters, Catherine Anne Maguire (left) and Sarah Frances Manning Locke. CONTRIBUTED: FAMILY PHOTO(The Atlanta Journal-Constitution) A graduate of the University of Georgia and Mercer Law School and a fan of the Georgia Bulldogs, Manning practiced family and corporate law. He and his family lived in Decatur and attended First Baptist Church Decatur until 1989 when they moved to Peachtree Corners. In addition to his work with the Methodist church, he was a long-time volunteer with the YMCA.On Saturday, he and a group of other men from Simpsonwood UMC moved the belongings of an older women who had been evicted. The woman’s furniture had been removed from the house and dumped on her lawn and Manning worked through the morning, helping load it into trucks and bringing it to a storage facility. “When he gets a call he’s the first to jump up to run to serve,” said his daughter, Sarah Frances Manning Locke. Manning, 70, lived with Type 2 diabetes, said Locke, and...