Obituary
Joseph Randolph Manion, 76,died peacefully surrounded by his children, on Tuesday, May 2, 2017.
An only child, Joe is preceded in death by his mother, Lois, who called him “Randy.”Born in Texas, Joe grew up in various locations around the country as a “military brat”. He cherished memories of the summers and school holidays he spent at the home of his beloved aunt and uncle, Addie and Elloyd Shrubar. Joe attended Georgia Tech briefly before enlisting in the U.S. Army where he was a paratrooper in the airborne division. After his discharge four years later, he settled in Northern Virginia.
A brick mason by trade, Joe was also an amateur guitarist and harmonica player. In his earlier years, he greatly enjoyed playing in the open band for Glen Echo’s contra dances. Joe was well known by members of of the Alcoholics Anonymous community, particularly the Independence Club in Springfield, Virginia, where he not only maintained his own sobriety for nearly three decades but also served as a sponsor to numerous folks new to recovery. In later years, Joe worked for the Arlington County Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP) program.
Survivors include his two children, James and Lisa; daughter-in-law Jamie; and three grandchildren, Kyndall, Allyson, and T.J.
A private service has been held with family. A public memorial celebration of Joe’s life will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, May 19 at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Fredericksburg.
A unique man who lived life on his own terms, Joe will be fondly remembered by family and friends for his stories and joke-telling; his singing; his hard-headed stubbornness; and his love of books, talk radio, motorcycles, star-gazing, big dogs, Big Macs, banana pudding, and hummingbirds.
Joe would hate that we are spending money on publishing his obituary, but he would be delighted if this somehow inspires you to make music, plan an adventure, or get a puppy.
