Charles Mann

Charles Olin Mann, 92, fantastic brother, great friend, wonderful husband, amazing father, and avid golfer passed away on May 27, 2019, surrounded by family. He lived independently until a cascade of health issues landed him in hospice, where his kindness, humor, and humility continued to radiate brightly and he expressed his gratitude for the long wonderful life he enjoyed. Throughout his life, he loved athletics (as a participant and spectator) and reading American history; he was extremely proud of all his children and grandchildren and their accomplishments. Chuck was born in Evanston, Illinois on May 24, 1927 to Charles Olin Mann Sr. and Jean Minner Mann. From their home in Park Ridge, IL the family often traveled to Little Lake in Michigan’s upper peninsula where Chuck loved to fish with his dog Boots. Just before eighth grade, his family moved to the Burns Park neighborhood in Ann Arbor, MI. There he attended Tappan Junior High School and Ann Arbor High School, playing guard on the football team that won the 1943 state championship and graduating in 1945. Highlights of his college years at Michigan State Normal College (Eastern Michigan University) included playing football as a freshman, delivering ice in the summers in Ann Arbor, and joining the Michigan Air National Guard. After earning his bachelor’s degree in 1950, he joined the US Airforce. Chuck was honorably discharged from the Air Force in 1952 and returned to Ann Arbor for a sales job with Standard Oil of Indiana. He married Winifred Duckek in October 1953. They lived on the Old West Side for two years, before his job took them to Monroe and then Oak Park, MI, where his son Keith was born in 1957. They returned to Ann Arbor and Chuck worked as a carpenter for Albert Duckek Builders, before returning to a career in sales with the Ohio Oil Company (Marathon Oil). In 1960, they were transferred to Muskegon, MI and in 1962 their daughter Kelly was born. After Winnie was diagnosed with cancer, Marathon Oil graciously transferred them back to Ann Arbor in 1965. She died that same year and Chuck became a single dad of two children (ages 3 and 8). He wholeheartedly embraced the challenge of being mother and father to his young children and raised them to responsible, confident and sports-loving adults, while he kept strong ties to Winifred’s parents, excelled at work (winning several sales and speaking awards and expanding his sales territory), and served the community through various civic organizations. Once Keith and Kelly were in college, Chuck was transferred to Indianapolis, IN in 1981 where he developed a close circle of golfing friends, playing courses at home, the Southern US, and Scotland. In 1985, Chuck became reacquainted with Marilyn R. Jacobs at their fortieth high school reunion and they learned that they both had lost spouses. They reminisced about how Marilyn had asked Chuck, the new kid on the block, to a dance and they dated in high school. They married in 1986 were incredibly happy together, playing golf and tennis, spending time Up North at Marilyn’s cabin, traveling, and welcoming many grandchildren. They enjoyed twenty-three years of marriage, before Marilyn passed away in 2009. Thereafter, he enjoyed time with his circle of close friends in Indianapolis until he moved to Colorado in 2016 to be near Kelly and her family. Chuck is survived by his sister Marion Marie Darden (by one day), his son Keith Mann (Claudia Buchmann) and their children: Kyle and Mason Mann and Benjamin and Michaela Sershen, and his daughter Kelly (Dave) Martin and their children: Ashley (Chase) Butler, Jamie, and Drew. Chuck is also survived by Marilyn’s daughters Sue McDonald, Kathryn McDonald, and Laura (Jim) McDonald, and grandchildren. Chuck was preceded in death by his former wife Winifred and wife Marilyn, brother James William Mann, sister Betty Virginia Glasser, and parents, as well as Marilyn’s sons Mark McDonald and Scott McDonald. Family and friends are invited to a celebration of Charles Mann’s life at 2:00 pm, July 27, 2019 at the First United Methodist Church (120 S. State St., Ann Arbor, MI), followed by a brief ceremony for the interment of his ashes in the Memorial Garden at the church. To sign the online guestbook, please visit https://www.allveterans.com/obituaries1/.