MWB Michael Bruce Manning

Michael Bruce Manning was born February 17, 1940 in the small coal mining and farming community of Taylorville, Illinois. Mike’s father and both of his grandfathers were coal miners and members of the local Masonic Lodge. Mike’s mother was a homemaker and very involved in Eastern Star. Mike’s early years were spent camping, hiking, and hunting and he was a member of the local Boy Scout Troop. He attended Taylorville High School where he played varsity football and was a letterman each of his 4 years of high school. He was also on the varsity wrestling team.

Mike graduated in 1958 and joined the United States Marine Corps. After completing boot camp, Advanced Infantry Training, Basic Recon School and then Force Recon Training at Camp Pendleton, CA, he returned home to propose to his high school sweetheart, Maggie.

2/17/1940 – 5/15/2021

Mike’s first tour of duty in Vietnam was in 1960 as a Force Recon Sniper. After his return to the US, he and Maggie were stationed in Millington TN where Mike attended Aircraft Mechanics School. After completing training in Tennessee, Mike was transferred to the Marine Corps Air Station at Cherry Point, NC, where he and Maggie lived until 1962.

Mike re-enlisted and was re-assigned to the helicopter base in Santa Ana CA. A second tour in Viet Nam followed in 1965-66, where he flew over 300 combat missions as a Crew Chief/Door-Gunner.

After being discharged in 1966, Mike worked for the Santa Ana Police Dept. in Orange County, California, and then accepted a lucrative position in the commercial finance industry. For the next ten years Mike was promoted through the ranks with Westinghouse Credit and ITT Commercial Finance, ultimately heading up one of the largest wholesale finance divisions of ITT, budgeting and controlling tens of millions of dollars.

After realizing that white collar work was not as rewarding as police work, Mike returned to the profession he truly missed. He completed his career in 2002, having served with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, retiring in 2002 after twenty years as a detective with the Arizona Department of Public Safety. During his time with the Arizona DPS, Mike’s most challenging cases involved investigations into organized crime, outlaw motorcycle gangs, satanic cult crimes and homicides.

Mike was initiated into Mound Lodge #122, Taylorville IL in 1962, completing his degrees the next year by courtesy of Silver Cord Lodge #505 in Santa Ana CA. He retained his membership in Mound Lodge until 1973, when he joined Tucson Lodge #4. In 1999, he transferred to Flagstaff #7, then became a dual member of Williams-Grand Canyon in 2000, serving as Master of #38 in 2002.

While in Flagstaff he chaired Bikes for Books with the Flagstaff School District, Police Officer of the Year and Firefighter of the Year Awards programs, which included not only Flagstaff and NAU Police and Fire but surrounding Fire Districts as well. He also took those programs to Williams-Grand Canyon Lodge during his time there.

Mike served the Grand Lodge as a Lodge Program Coordinator (the predecessor of today’s DDGM), as a member of Jurisprudence Committee for two years, then as Grand Sword Bearer in 2004. Also in 2004, he transferred his membership to Central Arizona #14 and was their Mason of the Year in 2006. Mike was a District Deputy Grand Lecturer in 2005 and 2006, then Grand Lecturer for 3 years (2007-2009). At Grand Lodge in 2010, he was named Arizona Mason of the Year and was also appointed Junior Grand Steward by GM James Rowan.

In 2012, Mike re-affiliated with Mound Lodge in Illinois. He was also a member of the Arizona Military Degree Team, Tucson Scottish Rite, Prescott York Rite Bodies, El Zaribah Shrine and Marion McDaniel #56 in Tucson, Arizona.

He was elected to serve as Grand Master of Free and Accepted Masons of Arizona for the Masonic year of 2014/2015. Both Brothers were shining examples of how Masons should conduct themselves. They will be missed by Masons, friends and families in Illinois, Arizona, and wherever they shared their mission. Rest in Peace, my Brothers. Well done, my good and faithful Servants, well done!

RWB Ed Walker Illinois Freemasonry Editor