Obituary of Bryden Manning

Patricia Bryden Manning, known as Bryden, passed on April 30th at the age of 80, just shy of her 81st birthday.

She is survived by her loving son Christopher Manning and his wife Haley Davis, her brother Stuart Manning, sister Karen Manning and several nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews. She resided in the city of Southport, North Carolina where she was warmly accepted by friends and neighbors whom she loved dearly. She lived an amazingly interesting and full life and was an avid traveler who loved scuba diving, snorkeling and all things ocean related, although ironically, she hated eating fish. She attended Randolph-Macon Woman’s College and later transferred to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she graduated with a degree in sociology. After several years working full-time, she decided to continue her education by attending law school in the evenings at the University of Connecticut, where she graduated with high honors and 3rd in her class. Bryden was known by her peers as a brilliant attorney and practiced law in various capacities until her retirement. She was a true child of her time and a champion of civil rights during the 60’s, continuing to fight for the rights of all people throughout her life. She raised her only child as a single mother working full-time as an attorney, and as her son will attest, neither job was an easy one. After leaving Connecticut she moved to Burlington, North Carolina. In 1989, she stumbled upon what was then a small fishing town called Southport, where she purchased a second home. She eventually moved to Southport in the early 2000’s and made it her forever home. She was a 46-year member of AA and mentored hundreds of people who suffered from addiction issues.

A small ceremony with her family will be held at her gravesite in Chapel Hill where she will be placed to rest at her family’s burial plot along with her parents and grandparents. She will be dearly missed by family and friends, but never forgotten.

The lives Bryden touched were changed forever and for the better.