John Keys Manning Jr. was born to John and Doris Manning in Waco, TX on February 28th, 1938. Known for being extremely rambunctious, John acquired the nickname “Scrap”.
Throughout school, John played on numerous football and baseball teams, and ran track. In 1957, he graduated from East High in Denver, CO. His senior class dubbed him “Most Ideal”.
John won a scholarship to play football for Texas A&M, but early on injured his knee. He transferred to Navarro Junior College for rehabilitation. Due to his mother’s ill-health, the family relocated to Sacramento. A year later John joined them, immediately landed a job at Rainbow Bakery, dabbled in college courses, remodeled a ’37 hotrod and cruised in his ’57 T-bird.
John and Linda married on August 13th, 1960. In 1961 their first daughter Michelle was born. Having dreamed of being a teacher, John returned to college, graduating from Sacramento State.
While at Sacramento State Lew Crowl requested John as his graduate assistant in the training room. This birthed John’s passion for sports medicine and helping fellow athletes. Amidst all this—John working nights and going to school during the day, and Linda full-time teaching—Kristin and Nancy were born.
John began his 28-year integral career at Live Oak High School in September of 1969, teaching the sciences, later holding the position of science department chairman for many years. He coached football, baseball, and track.
In 1975, he attained his sports medicine certification and started the first high school sports medicine program in California. One of the athletes dubbed him “Magic Hands Manning”—a title he enjoyed for many years.
Over the years, he struggled with heart problems and kidney disease. Labor Day of 1998, John had a kidney transplant and returned to his beloved training room part-time. Later that year, however, he retired.
In 2000, he and Linda packed up and moved to the Oasis Country Club in Palm Desert, CA, where John could play golf during the winter. Summers were enjoyed at their cabin in South Lake Tahoe.
Then in 2007, came news of his induction to Live Oak High School’s Hall of Fame for his undefeatable devotion to teaching and coaching.
At age 73, John “Magic Hands Manning” passed away Saturday, October 8th, 2011, in Palm Desert, CA, joining his youngest daughter Nancy. Now, he watches over his wife Linda, his daughters Michelle Vogel of Fort Wayne, IN, Kristin Manning of Sacramento, CA, his two grandsons Joshua and Corey John, nieces Kimberly and Deb, and all his best friends.
The John Manning ASB Memorial Scholarship, to help a science or athletics student better his/her education, was set up on October 11th, 2011, at Live Oak High School (1505 E. Main Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA, 95037).
