Dean David Manning
October 11, 1940 - May 21, 2019
Obituary
MADISON- Emeritus, UW School of Medicine and Public Health Professor of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Dean D. Manning, Ph.D., died peacefully at his home at age 78 on Tuesday, May 21, 2019, at 3:25 a.m., holding his wife Judy’s hand.
Dean was born on Oct. 11, 1940, and grew up in Grand Junction, Colo., where he spent many enjoyable hours hunting and fishing with his dad. He earned a B.S. (1962) and M.S. (1964) at Colorado State University, then served in the U.S. Army from 1964 to 1968 as a Medical Service Corps officer at the 1st Army Medical Laboratory in Manhattan, N.Y., and the 31st Field Hospital in Korat, Thailand. Dean met Judy, his future lifelong partner, while serving in the Army, and they were married December 1966 in New York City.
Following his discharge, they moved to Bozeman, Mont., where they each earned a doctorate in Microbiology. In 1975, they moved to Madison, Wis., where they were to share a wonderful life, starting joint academic careers in teaching and research in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology in the School of Medicine and Public Health at UW-Madison.
Early on Dean had a successful career doing basic research and teaching microbial science to medical students and earned tenure in three years. His research focused on defining the pathway of immune cell development. For nearly twenty years he taught the primary General Medical Microbiology course for first-year medical students. In 1995 he combined this course with two others to create an eight-credit, two-semester, second year medical student course called Infection and Immunity, of which he was an instructor and Course Director. It was voted the top 2nd-year course by medical students for many years. Over his 25 years of teaching medical students, Dean won multiple awards for distinguished teaching. He loved to teach and cared deeply about the success of his students and their welfare and was a beloved professor until he retired in 2001.
Dean had several passions in life outside of his academic pursuits: hunting and fishing, gardening, and Mountain Dew. His motto was “anything worth doing is worth overdoing.” For years he raised more than a thousand pounds of organically grown vegetables and melons every summer and shared his bounty with friends and countless medical students. He loved and enjoyed his pet cats and his pet ferrets.
Dean was preceded in death by his parents, Richard and Mary Manning. He is survived by his wife, Judy; his sister, Lenore; departmental colleagues; close friends; and his beloved cat, Cody.
A celebration of Dean’s life will be held at GUNDERSON EAST FUNERAL AND CREMATION CARE, 5203 Monona Drive, Madison, from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 26, 2019.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Dane County Humane Society.
Special thanks to Carrie, Mr. Chuck, Amy, Dustin, Ally, Agrace HospiceCare and his colleague, friend and physician of more than 40 years, Dr. Dennis Maki.
Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.
Gunderson East
Funeral & Cremation Care
5203 Monona Drive
(608) 221-5420
Events
Celebration of Life
Wed Jun 26, 2019 @ 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM CDT
Gunderson Funeral and Cremation Care - Madison • 5203 Monona Drive, Madison, WI 53716
Photos
Memories
JM
Judith Manning
Other •
Shared a photo.
SP
Shai Pellett
Other •
I knew Dean for most of the time I worked in the Medical Microbiology and Immunology Department as a researcher. I still remember a very vibrant Dean in his office down the hallway from my lab in the old MMI building. I could always tell what lecture he was preparing for his medical school students based on the sounds emanating from his tape recorder ... couldn't miss the lecture about whooping cough! He always chose the most obnoxious and heart-wrenching sounds, pictures, and stories to complement his lectures. His students loved it and thought he was such an interesting lecturer and person. His stories were priceless! Whenever I went to him with a question, I always had to make sure I had a few extra minutes to spend since he always had something interesting to share besides answering my question. He also loved sharing his bountiful garden produce with everyone and had stories about those as well. I missed seeing him down the hallway when his office was moved to another location, and missed him when he retired. My heartfelt condolences go out to Judy and to his sister.
JM
Judith Manning
Other •
Shared a photo.
JM
Judith Manning
Other •
Shared a photo.
DB
Dorothy Brar
Other •
Had a lot of good conversations with him in the hallway and in Fran's "kitchen" in the old Med Micro Department. We also went to Dean & Judy for advice before we got a ferret for our kids.
What a sense of humor he had! The students loved him too. He will be remembered, and missed, by many people.
MW
Marianne Wallace
Other •
I had the great pleasure of meeting Dean and Judy in 1989 when I came as a student to the UW Madison Medical Microbiology & Immunology Department. Not only were they both wonderful role models and mentors in immunology, they became so givingly my friends and family. Many fellow students felt the same way and share my happy memories of time spent with Dean and Judy. We lived and loved working together on the 4th floor of old Bardeen Labs. The research was exciting and the friendships forged there remain forever. Dean, the best volunteer mentor around was ever present to answer questions, served as an expert editor to all who asked, and bolstered our morale during the rough spots of graduate school. He was bright, helpful, kind, witty and always entertaining. Judy and Dean welcomed us very generously into their home and garden for memorable parties. Some of us had the pleasure and privilege of helping Dean pick the delicious and many varieties of strawberries and raspberries that he grew in his garden. We helped wash, bag and freeze all the fruit (except for the berries we would gobble and savor that day!). On memorable autumn weekend afternoons, Dean and I would meet up in their kitchen to make batches of jam from all the bagged summer bounty. To start, I was clueless as to how to make jam, but of course Dean was a fantastic cooking instructor too! He was very organized and showed me the proper sterile technique to can (jar) the jam. All of this was so much fun as Dean was always entertaining me with the greatest stories. He had me laughing so hard while I stirred the sweet aromatic batches of cooking fruit, sugar, and pectin. Often we would share a joyful meal with Judy and play with their marvelous ferrets and cat. Dean always sent me home with at least half of all the most delicious jam any of us have ever tasted and these I shared proudly with friends and family at Christmas. The jam was so otherworldly good because the fruit was the best as it was grown by Dean. I will forever cherish and hold The Mannings in my heart. Loving memories of Dean fill my soul and are always present. Dear Judy and Lenore please know how much you are loved. Lenore, I know we never met, but I feel that I know you as Dean always spoke so lovingly of his dear sister. I am sending my deepest sympathies to you and Judy. Much love and support, Marianne Wallace