William (Bill) Thomas Manning, 66, passed away Friday, November 17, 2006 after a long and valiant battle against numerous health problems. A resident of La Porte for thirty-one years, Bill is survived by his wife of forty-one years, Sharron Blume Manning, a long-time teacher at La Porte High School; son, William Thomas Manning, Jr., an engineer in La Porte; granddaughter, Samantha Ann Manning; brothers, James Michael Manning and wife Mae and Merle Edward Huston, Jr. and wife Sharon and numerous nieces and nephews.
Bill was born in Robstown, Texas in 1940. His family later moved to Austin where he attended Pease Elementary School and Austin High School. The family relocated to El Paso in 1958, where Bill graduated from Ysleta High School. After high school, he joined the army, serving a three-year tour of duty in Korea. Bill completed undergraduate and graduate studies in environmental health engineering at the University of Texas in Austin. During his studies at UT, he discovered his passion, protecting public health and safety through improved water and wastewater treatment technologies. Bill’s thirty-two year career in the water and wastewater industry included jobs with the Texas Water Quality Board (now Texas Commission on Environmental Quality), City of Houston, Gulf Coast Waste Disposal Authority, City of La Porte as City Engineer, and San Jacinto College, as a part-time instructor, where he also served on the Environmental Technology Advisory Committee. In 1977, Bill formed Manning Engineering Corporation, and in 1983 added a utilities operations company, Texas Municipal Utilities Services, Inc. where he and his son worked toward Bill’s goal of getting engineers and plant operators to work together to improve water and wastewater services in Texas. He was a registered professional engineer in Texas and Louisiana and a Class A Wastewater and Grade A Water certified water utilities operator.
Bill was active on the local and state levels of the Texas Water Utilities Association (TWUA) and throughout his career played a leadership role in the writing of the State Design Criteria for Sewerage Systems as well as training manuals for water and wastewater operator certification. He was also a member of TWUA’s Double A Club, a resource/advisory group for all water and wastewater operators in Texas. He served eight years on the Houston-Galveston Area Solid Waste Technical Advisory Committee and two years on the City of Houston Wastewater Program Technical Advisory Committee. Bill was also active within his community, serving on the City of La Porte Main Street Advisory Committee and the Rural, Large Lot Committee.
Bill’s contributions to the water utility industry were recognized through various awards and commendations, most recently the 2006 W. T. “Doc” Ballard Meritorious Service Award (TWUA’s highest honor). He also received TWUA’s Outstanding Educator of the Year Award in 1989 and their Exemplary Service in Public Education Award in 1994, as well as their Distinguished Service Award in 1997. In addition, Bill received the Water Environment Federation’s William D. Hatfield Award in 1992 for outstanding performance in water works operation, management, and advancement of knowledge in the field of water pollution control and in 1998 he was named Engineer of the Year for the Bayou Chapter of the Texas Society of Professional Engineers.
Bill was most proud of his service on the Board of Directors for the V. M. Ehlers Foundation of TWUA, which provides scholarships state-wide for TWUA members and children of members entering water, wastewater and public health fields. Bill, himself, established the Gulf Area District Endowment to that Foundation in order to provide local scholarships for TWUA members and their children in the Gulf Area. It was through these activities that Bill was able to realize his dream of improving public health through education and improvement of water and wastewater treatment in Texas.
Visitation will be from 2:00 P.M. until 3:30 P.M., with a memorial service immediately following on Monday, November 27, at Navarre Funeral Home, 2444 Rollingbrook Dr. in Baytown. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to the Gulf Area District Memorial Scholarship Endowment (Bill’s pride and joy), in care of the V.M. Ehlers Foundation, c/o Bill Gross, Sec/Treas, 100 Lakeview Dr., Rockdale, Texas, 76567 (ph 512-446-3143).
Arrangements are under the direction of Navarre Funeral Home, 2444 Rollingbrook Dr., Baytown, TX 77521
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