- Date Of Birth: July 13, 1932
- Date Of Death: March 19, 2014
- State: Michigan
Portage, MI Wayne passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, March 19th in Portage, MI. Wayne was born July 13, 1932 in Niles, MI to Harold and Helen Keller Mann. Wayne is survived by his wife of 58 years Dora Lee Mann, son, David Mann, daughter, Emily Scott Ritsema, grandchildren, Kiersten, Stanley and Julia Ritsema, and beloved dog, Eve. Wayne is also survived by his sister, Marilyn VanEvery, nieces Amy Gary Eckert, Jane Jerry Mohr, Melissa Ral Griffin, and Sarah Robert Engster and their families. Wayne was born in Niles but lived in Buchanan until graduating from high school in 1950.
Wayne attended Western Michigan University receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1954 and his Master of Arts History in 1963. Wayne taught school at Maple Grove in Muskegon between 1954 and 1956, Woodrow Wilson in Kalamazoo from 1956-1959 and Oakwood Junior High in Kalamazoo from 1960-1963. Wayne was then appointed Field Representative for the Archives and Regional History Collections for Western Michigan University, serving from 1963-1965.
He was then promoted to Assistant Archivist from 1965-1967, and finally appointed as Archivist and Director of Regional History Collections, from which he retired as Director Emeritus in 1995. Wayne was an active member of several clubs and organizations, including the Kalamazoo Optimist Club, National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association, OGCA, WARF, MEA, Pathfinder Church former Portage First United Methodist, and the Kalamazoo Valley Genealogical Society where he served 3 years as President, suggesting the name “Kalamazoo Valley” for the group.
Wayne was also a member of American Archivists, the Michigan Archival Association, American Association for State and Local History, American Records Management Association and the Historical Societies of Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Northern Indiana, and North Carolina. In addition to his work and group affiliations, Wayne was also used as a resource for many publications, including as a consultant for the book “When Gallantry Was Commonplace” by Leland Thornton.
Wayne was thanked many times by authors for his contributions to their works. Wayne also loved nature, especially bird watching and rock collecting, looking for “pudding” stones conglomerates at every opportunity. Wayne’s favorite vacation spot was the Smoky Mountains, especially Cade’s Cove, and also any battlefield of the Civil War.
