Birth date: Jun 9, 1945 Death date: Nov 27, 2017
John Manner of the Clearwater Beach, passed away suddenly November 27th, 2017 at the age of 72.. He died peacefully at Mease Dunedin Hospital. He was born June 9th, 1945 in Coppercliff, Ontario, Canada. He and his wife Michelle, l Read Obituary
I'm very sorry for your loss. Reading the stories of your husband, father, and friend showed a remarkable gentleman who obviously was special to everyone he met.
I will never forget the day that I met you, and all the wonderful memories we made together over the past 20 years. My life would never have been so adventurous had you not walked into it. I will think of you every single day, probably all day, for the rest of my entire life. Though you have moved on to a better place, my love for you will never die. Rest in peace My Captain.
Always,
Your loving wife,
Michelle
The first thought that comes to my mind when I think of my dad is how he lived a life of purpose. He reached retirement age being capable of reflecting on the past with no regrets but just accomplishments. His lifework brought him lasting fulfillment. He gave me the gifts of courage, wisdom, and the inner strength to do anything. He would say, "anything is possible". I will carry a inner peace and strength throughout the rest of my days because of these gifts. If I was to ponder the purpose of life, I would say, "the purpose of life is a life of purpose". Daddy, that's what you achieved. I am very proud of you!
CAPT. WE MET SEVERAL YEARS AGO. MY HUSBAND AND I ENJOYED VISITING WITH YOU WHEN YOU WERE HOME FROM YOUR SEA ADVENTURES! YOU MARRIED A WONDERFUL LADY! SORRY GOD WANTED YOU BEFORE WE WANTED YOU TO GO. YOU WILL BE DEARLY MISSED!!
Dad, even though we lived apart, the bond we shared was strong in my heart. You had a long and good life! It's now your time to rest! I will see you again one day, and until then I will miss you every day! I love you very much! Thank you for being you and for everything you have given me, including my life! Love Anne
Written by Captain Metz.
I first met John Manner when he came aboard my ship, the Oakglen, back in the 1990's as first mate. John was a likable guy right from the start. He knew his job. He loaded the ship, called me, and said "We are loaded and ready to go." I asked John how much tonnage did he load and after he told me, I said to load a few more tons. He said we would be overloaded but I said not to worry about that. He wanted a letter from me stating I overloaded the ship. I gave him the letter and he loaded the tonnage I asked for. The ship was heavy on her draft marks when we departed Thunder Bay. John was still worried we would be over loaded at the Soo. Upon our arrival at the Soo Locks she was right on her marks, John's worry was over and he was praised by the company for a large load.
I was relieving skipper for the company and when I was through for the season and ready to fly to Florida I got a call that the skipper on the Oakglen took sick and they wanted me to relieve him. I said the first mate on the Oakglen had a skipper license, was very capable in ship handling, and that he could take over for me. John got the skipper's job and I went home.
John and I had lots of good times working together and going to company meetings and different marine schools that the company paid for. One year while I was at home John suffered a heart attack while in Owen Sound and was in the hospital. The company called me to ask if I could make one more trip then lay up after Christmas and I agreed. I wanted to go to the hospital to see John but I could not because the ship was ready to sail.
John had a photographic memory and could remember all the courses from Thunder Bay to Montreal. I always had to have my black book by my side but not John, he would sound off each new course to the wheelsman. John was a good ship handler and his crew always liked him. He was a good friend and seaman.
Capt. R. Metz
[email protected].
This is written by Captain Rick Stout.
I first met John in 1997 when we were both sitting in East Side Mario’s restaurant in Owen Sound Ontario. I was a regular in the restaurant and knew the server. During the time I made regular trips to Florida on for vacation and the server asked me when I was heading to Florida next, I replied “Likely in a couple of weeks " as I had vacation coming up. John was sitting close by and asked me what part of Florida I go to? I replied “Usually the Clearwater Beach area. " He said,I live in Clearwater Beach on Sand Key. He was wearing a P&H Shipping jacket and we got to talking more. I knew the S.S. Oakglen owned by P&H was in port and I asked if he worked on the ship, He told me he was the Captain of the Oakglen and invited me down to the ship for a visit the next day. Being enthused in shipping and boats all my life, I went down to the ship the next day and was walking back and forth on the dock to scared to board the ship incase someone told me to get off.
John came out of his cabin and yelled down asking me why I was standing down there. I went aboard and he said, “No one is going to tell you to get off, This is My Ship !”
He showed me aboard and introduced me to some of the crew and began telling me of his years of captain and how he was one of the youngest captains at the time giving me a run down of how he was born on Manitoulin Island Ontario, married his first wife living in Barrie Ontario and raising two daughters Lynn and Anne. In his career he skippered the very popular “RMS Segwun’ historic steam passenger ship in Canada’s elite Muskoka region as well as part ownership in a tug barge combination between the tug Tusker and converted package freighter Fort York but John was most known for his days for Upper Lake Shipping, Soo River Shipping Company, P&H ShippingCompany before retiring with Canada Steamship Lines.
Two weeks later, John was also going on vacation in November and gave me his Florida number and invited me to visit him in Clearwater Beach. While driving down I remember calling him from Macon Georgia and being made feel more than welcome to stay at his place that night. We went for dinner and he introduced me to some of his friends in the area.
John was recently divorced from his second wife Cindy and was living in his Sand Key condo alone when he was home. Over the winter he said it was lonely and the condo was costing a lot to keep for the short time he was there. I told him I understood that and he really should look for something smaller to rent. The following spring just before going back on the ship, John called me and said he had sold the condo and bought a Jeep and was “Homeless” We laughed about him living out of his Jeep but he was going back on the ship so he didn’t need to find something at that point. In the summer of 1998, John was living aboard the Oakglen keeping ship in Owen Sound as there was no work for ship at the time. I did many tours with friends aboard the ship showing people what the engine room and wheelhouse was really like on a Great Lakes Freighter. I was also finishing a 6 1/2 year restoration on my own boat in my back yard and on launch day in July 98, John said he would ride down to the marina on the roof of the boat and watch the wires on the road. We launched the boat and roped it to a slip across the marina basin. John walked to the slip to catch the lines when one of the boaters wives on the dock sort of shoved John out of the way and started telling him how to tie the ropes and how he should be doing things. John quietly listened to what she was saying, and not saying a word about his own status. After the boat was docked, John made comment that his boat was tied up in the harbor. The boater asked John why he kept his boat up in the harbor, stating Owen Sound Marina was a nice marina and he should keep it there. John replied, “My boat’s too big to come in here, the boater asked how big his boat was, John replied 715 ft. I stepped in at that point and said, “By the way, this is Captain John Manner off the Oakglen. The boater’s face went blank before departing very quickly with her tail between her legs.
The Oakglen departed Owen Sound layup in September and in the fall of 1998, John told me he had met Michelle while on a trip into Superior Wisconsin but the ship’s regular runs didn’t include Superior. The regular runs were Thunder Bay Ontario on Lake Superior’s north shore to Goderich on Lake Huron with part load and on to Owen Sound with the other part, however the ship had developed mechanical problems with the steam boilers. John was stressed with the problems and his main concern was getting enough work hours for the crew so they could draw employment insurance during the off months of the winter. The seas get rough in the late season even sinking ships and taking their crews to the bottom such as the Lake Ship Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975. One crew member told John it was “Stupid” going out there with the ship problems but John watched his weather carefully telling the crew member he was doing so they would get their annual hours for insurance. John took things easy and safe but on December 18th the stress caught up with him.
On that day, the Oakglen had docked in Owen Sound to off load grain. There were some officials from head office on the ship having dinner when John suddenly fell asleep at the table. He came alert again and on his way to his cabin he collapsed on the deck. The third mate helped him to his cabin. John called me on the phone and asked if I would come down to the ship. I did and when I got there he was in bed. He woke up when I came in the cabin and I asked what was the matter? He told me he fell asleep at dinner and then collapsed on the deck. I told him he needed to get to the hospital but he argued the fact saying the ship just had one more trip for the season and he had to complete it. I told him there was no hospitals in Lake Superior. At that point his sister Lynn called and I talked to her telling her he really needed to go to the hospital and get checked out. She agreed and John got dressed. They admitted him into Owen Sound hospital where they found they would have to operate and put a pacemaker in for his heart. He knew he wasn’t going back on the ship that year and asked me to retrieve all his belongings off the ship. That night Michelle called on John’s cell phone as she always did and I answered it. There was a long pause and I said “Michelle"? I told her John was in the hospital and all the details. Michelle started to cry feeling helpless being so far away in Wisconsin. That was my first conversation with who would also become a long time friend. I assured Michelle I’d keep her up to date on everything. The next morning the mate contacted the office and Captain Richard Metz came aboard to take the Oakglen out on her final trip of the season. After the operation I met John’s daughters Lynn and Anne and after being released John stayed with them until well enough to go back to Florida. Shortly after John called to say he had found an apartment on Island Estates in Clearwater Beach and Michelle was moving to Florida to be with him.
By spring off 1999, John was back to normal and ready for the next shipping season. I spent a lot of time with John in Florida meeting more of his friends such as taxi driver Tommy Van , Mary that owned Les Partners Lounge where Michelle now works and Tommy Duff as well as many more.
After getting married to Michelle and retiring a few years ago, Michelle and John bought a house in Dunedin where they still reside. We still kept in contact often sharing stories of the past. John called me offering condolences when my mother passed away in May and we last talked on the phone about a month ago when John told me he was driving an Uber to pass the time and how much he enjoyed it.
I will miss John and all he knowledge on the lakes. As his daughter Ann quoted to me, “My dad could do anything” And I really think he could. So for you my friend on your final voyage, Rest in Peace, You touched many of us with the life you shared and you’ll always be remembered.
