Former county commissioner, Cape council member passes
Former longtime Lee County Commissioner John Manning passed away on July 28 at his home in Massachusetts.
He was a resident of Lee County for more than 40 years with more than 25 years of public service — first as a Cape Coral City Council member for two terms from 1982-86, and then on the Lee County Board of County Commissioners, where Manning served from 1988 to 2000 and again from 2010-20.
He served on the board responsible for implementing the Conservation 20/20 program in 1996 following a voter referendum. In 2020, Manning helped the county celebrate the milestone of Conservation 20/20 reaching 30,000 acres of preserve land.
District 4 Commissioner Brian Hamman called Manning a friend who will be missed.
“I always appreciated his sense of humor,” he said.
Hamman said Manning would keep the commissioners on track.
“I appreciated his efficiency,” he said.
Hamman said Manning left his mark “all over the county,” including his contributions to the Conservation 20/20 program.
“We’re better off that he served us,” Hamman said.
Lee County Manager Roger Desjarlais said he was saddened by the death of Manning.
“John lived in Lee County more than 40 years and served the public for 25 years. He was a public official committed to Lee County residents and the state of Florida,” he said. “He will be long remembered for all of his contributions to the community and will be greatly missed by his fellow commissioners, county staff and residents.”
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