Larry Manning

Larry Lane Manning Saddled up for the high country Larry Lane Manning, 81, died March 1 at his home in Lakewood, Colo. Sportsman, cowboy, Army National Guard officer, photographer, real-estate broker, construction estimator, civic leader, writer, traveler, husband, father and grandfather—Larry lived a robust life, enjoying good health and a sharp mind until his death. Writing as Lane Manning, he was busy planning his third novel when he passed (his first, Smoke of Sky, was published in 2013, and Bogle-Wark, was published in 2017). Born Jan. 23, 1938 in Ponca City, Okla., to Frank D. Manning and Helen L. Macdonald, Larry’s youth was filled with adventure as his father, a petroleum landman, moved the family to oil-producing states including Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. The family, which also included his older sister, Donna, put down roots in Casper, Wyo., where Larry attended grade school. Graduating from Natrona County High School, he went on to study journalism and literature at the University of Wyoming and was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity. It was in Laramie that Larry met Alice Underwood from Gillette, Wyo., who soon became his wife. They were married 49 years until her death in 2007. Larry served as a second lieutenant and platoon leader in the Army with the New Mexico National Guard in Battery A, 2d Gun Bn (90mm), 200th Artillery. His love for New Mexico brought them back again, in the late ’70s where they owned an irrigated farm and livestock operation on the Pecos River. While there, Larry was instrumental in developing a volunteer fire department and serving as fire chief. After college and the National Guard, Larry and Alice settled in the Denver area and raised three children: Valerie, Ulysses and Lance. During this time, Larry operated the Manning Gallery, providing portrait photography in Cherry Creek and serving as the official photographer for the Denver Debutant Ball in 1972 and 1973. He then became active in the Denver real-estate industry. In the 1980s, they moved to a mountain home above Durango, Colo. There, Larry was a member of the Durango Choral Society and the couple was active in search and rescue with the Colorado Mounted Rangers. They particularly enjoyed trail rides in the San Juan Range and Weminuche Wilderness. In the late ‘80s, the couple returned to Denver to be closer to their children, settling in Lakewood on a 2- acre horse property. Larry worked in the building trades and became adept at estimating construction costs, which he did until he retired. They were bitten by the travel bug, so in addition to trail riding and horseback camping, the couple took road trips across the U.S. and Canada and a tour of the United Kingdom. They also enjoyed cruises to the Caribbean and Alaska. In recent years, Larry developed a passion for genealogy and became devoted to sleuthing family trees. He was also a member of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Mystery Writers of America. Larry is survived by his daughter Valerie (husband, Doug Richardson) of Wellington, Colo; sons Ulysses (wife, Julie Brenner) and Lance, both of Lakewood, Colo; and grandchildren Michael, Kristen, Alex, Jacob, Mallory, Lauren and Sydni. Preceding him in death were his parents, Frank and Helen Manning; wife Alice Marie Underwood; sisters Donna Lou Manning Gooder and Jerolyn Lee Manning, and infant son Zachary Paul. A family memorial service is planned later in the spring.