Biography: Van E. Manning Jr., son of the late Van E. Manning Sr. and Mary Bracy Manning of Little Rock passed away on January 12, 2024.  He was born in Little Rock and was 95.

He graduated from Little Rock Public Schools where he was a member of Delta Sigma Fraternity. He attended the Citadel in South Carolina and went on to graduate from the University of AR in Fayetteville, AR in 1951.  He majored in insurance and was a member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity. He served in the Army during the Korean War as 1^st Lt. in the 112 Engineer Combat Battalion. After military service, he was employed as an insurance company property and marine underwriter and later, a special agent for Eastern Arkansas. In 1962 he purchased the McCartney Insurance Agency of Newport. He retired in 1996 from the insurance business as President of McCartney, Manning, McDonald and Guinn, Inc of Newport, Tuckerman and Horseshoe Bend. Manning held the professional designation of Chartered Property & Casualty Underwriter and was President of the Arkansas C.P.C.U. Chapter.  He was active in many civic and insurance associations. He was Scoutmaster of Troop 164 in Newport. He was President of Newport Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of the Newport city planning commission and VP of the Newport Industrial Commission. He was President of the Jackson County Historical Society. He was a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow as well as Trustee Emeritus of Lyon College in Batesville. He was the founder of Riverboat Days, later called Portfest and served as Chairman.

After the death of his late wife Mary (Maisie) Lackey Manning, he married Julia Gray Williams of Memphis, TN in 2012. He moved to Memphis and was a member of St John’s Episcopal Church and several civic and social organizations while living in Memphis.  He was a student for life, as he never quit learning. He loved trout fishing on the White River and bass fishing in the oxbow lakes of the Arkansas Delta.  He was a talented wood carver and painter of wildlife as well as a stain glass artist. He was a great mentor, storyteller and a sharer of great advice.

He was preceded in death by his father Van E Manning Sr. and his mother Mary Bracy Manning of Little Rock, and his late wife Mary (Maisie) Lackey Manning. He is survived by his wife Julia Gray Manning of Memphis. Two children, Van Mark Manning (Mary) of Little Rock and Susan Manning Ashcraft (Greg) of Little Rock. Three grandchildren, Van Jesse Manning of Little Rock, Gregory Luke Hubbard (Aly) of Indianapolis IN, and Mary Catherine Manning Contreras (Emilio) of Alexandria, VA.
He is also survived by six step children, Ed Barham, Beth Barham, and Leigh Ann Barham all of Fayetteville, AR. Sarah Rausch of Colorado Springs CO, Robert M. Williams, and Courtney Williams Murrah of Memphis.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, January 26^th at 2:00 PM at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 1000 N Mississippi Ave in Little Rock. 

Memorials may be made to: Saint John’s Episcopal Church, 3245 Central Ave, Memphis, TN 38111, or Lyon College, 2300 Highland Rd, Batesville, AR 72503. Arrangements are under the direction of RuebelFuneralHome.com