Doug Wayne Manning

Douglas Wayne Manning decided to see what was on the other side on January 27, 2025. His 92 years were an amazing journey that touched people all over the world with his deep wisdom, his listening heart and his gift of the written and spoken word. His impact on the community of the bereaved and his vision for improving the funeral and death care professions will be felt for generations to come. 

Doug was born May 18, 1932, to Tom and Etoile Manning in Frederick Oklahoma, and grew up with his brothers Tommy and Huey Allen. After graduating from Frederick High School, he made the momentous decision to enter the ministry and headed to Oklahoma Baptist University. It was there that he saw a young piano major named Barbara Maddox walking across campus and told everyone that that was the woman he was going to marry. 

On August 25, 1953, Doug and Barbara married and headed off to see what life had to offer. They had no idea what that would look like and could not possibly have imagined the adventure that lay ahead. For 57 years, until Barbara’s death in 2010, they had a partnership and foundational bond that was amazing to behold. 

Together they raised four daughters, Glenda, Kathy, Cindy and Sandra. And they delighted in their grandchildren, Darcy, Sunny, Tanner, Morgan, Jacob, Zachary, Stephen and their great grandchildren Ethan, Parker, Jaylie, Ayden, Willow, Weston and Walker. 

After graduating from Southwestern State College in Weatherford, he became pastor at First Baptist Church in Weatherford. He served Southern Hills Baptist Church in Tulsa Oklahoma, First Baptist Church in Hereford Texas, and was a founding leader of Fellowship of Believers in Hereford, and the Kindling Community in Oklahoma City.

It was while serving in Hereford that Doug became interested in the grief experience and his concern that there was so little in the way of support and resources for people experiencing a death. He wrote his first book A Minister Speaks About Funerals in 1978 and Don’t Take My Grief Away from Me in 1979. 

This was the book that truly launched his career in the life transitions genre. After writing his first book for caregivers, When Love Gets Tough: Making the Nursing Home Decision, in 1982, he determined that this was his calling, and he left active ministry and established InSight Books to publish his writings. For a time, Doug and Barbara sold his inventory out of their garage until they could find an audience for his publications. 

As a person who spent his entire life filled with curiosity and empathy, Doug became an internationally known author and speaker in the areas of grief and elder care. He wrote 51 books, and produced 27 audio tapes and videos. His bereavement resources have been purchased by individuals, churches, hospitals, hospices and organizations. 

He traveled all over the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, always offering the same message of care and compassion and assurance while sharing his favorite words—understanding and significance and getting in people’s buckets. 

He became well-known in the funeral profession through his partnership with The Dodge Company, selling thousands of his aftercare books to funeral professionals and speaking at countless seminars and trainings. He encouraged death care professionals to understand the grief journey and gave them support and inspiration for becoming a healing presence for their families. 

In 1996, Doug and Barbara moved the company to Oklahoma City and his daughters took over the day-to-day operations of publishing and speaking and training. 

In 1999, he co-created the InSight Institute Funeral Celebrant training with his daughter, Glenda. Based upon Doug’s foundational belief that funerals should be unique and personalized in order to be healing, together they traveled North America, establishing a new way to consider what funerals could be and, to date, over 5000 people have completed that training. 

For countless individuals and colleagues and friends, Doug was that person who was always ready to listen, to offer wisdom, or to make you think while you were laughing. 

For the rest of his story and his philosophy of life, we invite you to consider his final autographical book, The Spiritual Journey of a Recovering Baptist. 

No matter how busy and lauded Doug was in his professional career, his true heart was with his family, and he loved having all of his kids and grandkids in the same city so he could be an integral part of their stories. He was always there to listen, to encourage, to enjoy their journeys. 

His family that are left behind to carry on his legacy include: 

Glenda Stansbury and husband, Joe, Kathy Burns, Cindy Perez and husband, Mel, Sandra Sherry and husband John, grandchildren Darcy Franklin and partner Carl, Sunny Stansbury, Tanner Robinson and partner Amanda, Morgan Cobb and husband Brett, Jacob Burns and partner Leah, Zachary Burns, and Stephen Sherry; great grandchildren Ethan Baer, Parker Baer, Jaylie Robinson, Ayden Sherry, Willow Robinson, Weston Cobb and Walker Cobb, adopted family in love Carmen Pence and family, a host of nieces and nephews and cousins, and countless friends that remained a cherished part of his world. 

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife Barbara Manning, his parents, Tom and Etoile Manning, brothers Tom Manning and Allen Manning, sisters-in-law Betty Jo Canada, Kay Manning, Terry Maddox, brothers-in-law Ed Maddox and Roy Canada, and grandson Isaac Burns. 

The service to honor the significance of Doug’s life will be held Monday, February 3, 2025, at 10:00 am at Mayflower Congregational UCC Church, 3901 NW 63rd, Oklahoma City followed by committal at Resurrection Cemetery. 

Visitation will be Sunday 3:00—5:00 at Mayflower Congregational UCC Church. 

Donations in Doug’s memory can be made to:

Outrageous Love (founder of Joe's Addiction Community of Hope)
PO Box 94811
Oklahoma City, OK 73143