Our Tribute – Thomas B. Manton

My condolences on the passing of your father, Tom. I, too, am proud to have been a member of the class of ’56 and was at our 49th reunion. As one of our classmates told me a few years ago ~ “we grew up in Nirvana”. We truly were and classmates will always be remembered that way.

I attended Woodstock for the last three years of high school, and though I was a newcomer, Brenny Burgoyne, Bill McKelvey, and your father, Tom Manton welcomed me as a lifelong friend and together, the four of us enjoyed some marvelous times together, especially on our treks up into the mountains. I recall in particular a ten-day climb we took up above Shastru Tal, and upon reaching our destination, Tom led us in singing the doxology in his strong tenor voice. In this age of instant communication and easy travel, it is hard to imagine his bravery and ambition in setting out across the Eurasian continent by motorcycle upon graduating from Woodstock, but such feats of gusto were typical of Tom. We kept in touch off and on throughout the years. I participated in his wedding with Judy, my wife and I entertained him at our home several times, including China, where I was born and raised and which was one of several nations with which he had intimate knowledge and contacts, and lastly at the 50th reunion of our class in the Adirondack woods. We bunked together in a cabin, recapitulating the days and times of our youth, and when we all had to return, I drove him back to the Albany airport where we lunched before taking separate flights home and unknowingly bid goodbye forever. He was an amazing man, and I feel privileged to have been his friend. Robert Burns must have had Tom in mind when he penned, “A man’s dream should exceed his grasp, or what’s a world for!”

Toms father was the pastor of the Methodist Church in Rangoon. I was five when Tom was born and he never forgot through the years that I helped his ayah bath him as a baby. Tom squirmed and giggled his way through it. He was one of the best friends I knew. He and Judy visited the U.K on their honeymoon and we visited Windsor castle together.Later in N.York he introduced me to people in the U.N. and so many others He was doing so much to help others. Last year he e.mailed me to say he wanted to do something for Burma. I wondered why I had not heard from him after that. I am deeply saddened to hear why and send you three my deepest condolences. You may remember me Alex, though I did know and meet all three of you. I drove him up to Scotland in my little sports car many years before that,he was in the U.K on business, and he had to meet people up there. He sang all the way up in that wonderful voice of his. As we had the roof down and it was summer other drivers had big smiles on their faces. Your Dad did that to people. God bless and keep you . Gracie (Rorke).

Alex, Ted, and Eric — I first met your father at Woodstock and have always admired him, although I know your uncle David, my classmate, and Will, who was a leader of the Washington area alumni reunion committee last year, much better. When I graduated in June 1959, my family stopped in Rangoon on their way to Bangkok and then down to Indonesia where they were also Methodist missionaries. Once I was back to the States, I saw him at a Woodstock reunion at Ohio Wesleyan. In 1963, when I became a student at the Wesley Seminary on the American University campus, I knew that your father was at the School of International Service across the campus, and that made the school more impressive. From time to time I would hear some news of something important and useful that he was doing. I am saddened by his death, which is a great loss. Jack Day, Woodstock ’59

Alex, Ted, and Eric — I first met your father at Woodstock and have always admired him, although I know your uncle David, my classmate, and Will, who was a leader of the Washington area alumni reunion committee last year, much better. When I graduated in June 1959, my family stopped in Rangoon on their way to Bangkok and then down to Indonesia where they were also Methodist missionaries. Once I was back to the States, I saw him at a Woodstock reunion at Ohio Wesleyan. In 1963, when I became a student at the Wesley Seminary on the American University campus, I knew that your father was at the School of International Service across the campus, and that made the school more impressive. From time to time I would hear some news of something important and useful that he was doing. I am saddened by his death, which is a great loss.

Dear Alex, Ted and Eric,

I was a freshman at Woodstock when your Dad was a senior. He was my first real “crush”. I think I fell in love with him when I heard him sing “Old Man River” in the school auditorium. Although more than 50 years have passed since I last saw him in Singapore I still check the Woodstock “Quadrangle” for news of him. I have a sense of sorrow and great loss. Please accept my condolences.

Gail Pilley Harris (Class of ’59)

Jenny shared this photo of my Dad that was taken sometime last year and i thought that you all would like to see it as well.

Alex

Like Gil Osgood, I was three years behind Tom, but remember him as handsome young man, intelligent, and unafraid. In the sixties, I, once again, had the opportunity to know Tom and his wife. They lived in a townhome in Alexandria. They used to have Indian dinners for fellow Woodstock alumni. His wife would dress in Indian style and embraced Tom’s both Indian and Malaysian childhood esperiences. Tom, generally, did the cooking.

I can’t remember what part of the government your Dad was working in at the time, but, later, learned he was one of the point men in renewing our country’s relationship with China during the Nixon administration It was a proud time to realize that one of our Woodstock young men was one of the prominent negotiators in re-opening China.

As a kid, I always admired Tom, and especially when we met as adults, in Washington, D. C. His achievements were incredible. We will miss him. Maudie Davis, Woodstock, Class of 1959

I want to offer my condolences on the death of your father. I knew him as a child when we were both students at Woodstock School in India. I was three years behind him in your uncle David’s class. The Mantons and the Osgoods sailed back to India on the same ship, the Marine Adder, in 1947 although I remember very little of that trip. My most vivid memory of your father are from high school days when he was a senior and I was a freshman, both living in the Hostel as the high school boys dormitory was called. As you no doubt know, all three Manton boys were great swimmers and divers and were often to be seen in the Hostel swimming pool. Some of the braver boys used to jump off the lower balcony, two stories up, into the pool. A very few even jumped off the upper balcony, which was three stories up, around 30 feet above the water. One person, your father, actually once jumped off the roof of the Hostel, four stories up, into the pool. I wasn’t present when this happened but heard about it later as everyone was talking about it. As someone who never jumped off of anything higher than the high diving board I was very impressed. I’m still not sure how he even got up on the roof.

Gil