Lois Manning

Lois Telford Manning

September 24, 1935 ~ January 23, 2021

Lois Telford Manning passed away January 23, 2021 at Quail Meadows Assisted Living and Memory care in North Ogden, Utah. Lois was born in Vallejo, California September 24, 1935 to John Myron and Emma Elverda Mayfield Telford.

At an early age, Lois demonstrated an astounding musical talent and ability, which her parents encouraged and nurtured and which she shared with countless individuals over the course of her life. She was a musical prodigy and briefly attended the San Francisco Conservatory of Music at age eleven. She served as the organist at church from age 11 through the entirety of her life. She graduated from Vallejo High School at age 16, and then attended Brigham Young University, where she was involved in virtually every musical discipline, including touring the country with the BYU Opera Company. She was a classically trained pianist, possessed the rare gift of perfect pitch, could easily transpose keys while she played the piano, and was a gifted improvisational musician and arranger.

She graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in Music Education in 1956.

It was at BYU that Lois met her husband, Leland Manning. They were married April 21, 1957 in Sparks, Nevada. The couple briefly made their home in Riverdale, Utah. Lois taught music at Washington Jr. High School in Ogden, Utah.

Lois took a hiatus from teaching public school while raising her children, but taught music privately for many years. The family moved briefly to Boise, Idaho and Los Angeles, California, but returned to Riverdale, Utah, where they lived for over forty years.

Lois returned to public Education in 1973 and taught third and fourth grade at Hooper Elementary School in Hooper, Utah until her retirement in 1996.

Leland and Lois moved to Morgan, Utah in 1996.

Over the years, Lois was highly involved in many levels of the community, whether it was family, neighborhood, church, or even civic involvement. In 1976, Lois became the first woman to serve on the Riverdale City Council, and only the second woman to hold that position in the state of Utah.

True to her life-long musical calling, Lois was a member of several choirs over the years.  She sang in (and was an often-featured soloist in) the Ogden Community Choir. She was an accompanist of the Salt Lake Symphonic Choir, where she was able to tour Armenia and Russia – and even play Tchaikovsky’s piano. She accompanied the Choral Arts Society of Utah, under the direction of Sterling Poulson. She was the accompanist for the Kaye Starr Singers, where she performed in Australia, Guatemala, and many US states.  And after moving to Morgan, Utah co-founded the Morgan Community Choir with Susanne Carrigan and served as their director until 2019.

From early childhood, Lois demonstrated a personal drive and fierce sense of independence. According to family lore, her first words were “me do selfie.” She was, however, also kind and nurturing. She was a musical mentor to countless individuals over the years, and blessed the lives of those she encountered, whether through music or through her personal kindness and service.

Lois was a life-long member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Lois is survived by her husband, Leland Manning and her four children, Michelle Manning of Morgan, Utah; Eric (Helen) Manning of Provo, Utah; Eileen Manning of Lakewood, Washington; and James Manning of Morgan, Utah. She has ten grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her siblings, Doris, Faye, Ray, Larry, Ilean and Dean and one grandson, Daniel Pasternak.

Funeral services for Lois will be held Friday, January 29, 2021 at 2 p.m. at the Lindquist’s Ogden Mortuary, 3408 Washington Blvd. Friends may visit with family on Friday from 12:45 to 1:45 p.m. at the mortuary. Interment, Hooper Cemetery, Hooper, Utah.

For those unable to attend, the services will be livestreamed and available by going to the  bottom of Lois’ obituary.

The family wishes to thank friends and neighbors throughout the years who have loved and cared for Lois, including the staff of Quail Meadows Assisted Living and Memory Care in North Ogden, UT, and Bristol Hospice.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Utah Choral Arts Society.

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