Memorials, 0319 ALBJ, 80 The Alabama Lawyer 148 (2019)
| Author | Richard S. Manley |
| Position | Vol. 80 2 Pg. 148 |
▲ Richard S. Manley
▲ Darryl Lee Webb
Richard S. Manley
“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson
Richard S. Manley, admitted to the Alabama State Bar in 1958, left that trail behind with his passing on January 5, 2019. His outstanding leadership in so many capacities has been well documented in his passing, recognition from so many of his service to our bar, to our state and to his community. As his daughter, I can attest to his heart for service and desire to help others to the best of his ability. Even as the awful Alzheimer's disease that eventually took his life began to impact his brilliant mind, he was still "lawyer Manley," reaching out to fellow patients to ask if he could help them in any way. Our family smiles deeply thinking about the reports from his caregivers that when they would take field trips, many thought Dad was a staff member, not a patient, because he was helping the other patients, showing them where to go or giving them his hand to lead their way.
It is that aspect of Rick Manley I wish to memorialize for our bar members-the man who mentored me and so many others, who loved helping the client who could only pay him in snap beans and cucumbers, but who equally relished the opportunity to advocate for our state with leaders from across our county and world, the man who loved being a small-town lawyer" in his beloved Demopolis in his beloved west Alabama, but who never, ever thought that was anything but the highest honor.
He worked so hard to be the best he could be in everything he did, whether serving as Speaker Pro Tern of the House of Representatives or as my brother's baseball coach. He read, he studied and he always worked to understand the issues and then would collaborate with others to try to solve the problem or reach the goal at hand. He was a loving father and grandfather, always there with a hug and word of encouragement, but also with a swift kick to our posterior if that was needed instead. Our family has been moved by the number of stories from others regarding Dad's kindness to them as a young attorney or young legislator regarding his efforts to reach out and put them at ease, and to help where he could to set them on a path to success in whatever the endeavor might be. He was always the mentor-always the...
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