Barry Community Enrichment Center, 231 S. Broadway, Hastings, MI 49058
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IN MEMORY
John Edward Mantle
John Edward Mantle, age 80, passed away at home on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. He was born in London, England on June 18, 1940. Three weeks after his birth, the Battle of Britain began. His life was shaped by the harrowing experiences of a tiny boy growing up in the shadow of war. After high school graduation, his first job was writing captions for a local news service. He eventually landed a position with United Press International on Fleet Street. In 1964, he was posted to Moscow as a photographer. He returned to London in 1967 to work as a foreign correspondent, covering breaking news in over 70 countries. He then served six years in Buenos Aires before moving to the United States in 1975. After leaving UPI in 1986, he published the Alexandria (VA) Gazette. John met Carol Rose in an elevator in Chicago in 1978. During their 38-year marriage, they weathered life’s ups and downs with mutual love and devotion. John’s dream was to run his own paper, so in 1988 they purchased the Fort Mill Times, a weekly newspaper in South Carolina. Covering the local news was far and away his favorite job and those years were the happiest of his journalism career. In early 1997, John suffered a massive stroke. He could not speak, his right side was paralyzed. He was told he would never walk again. But being a stubborn Englishman, he proved everyone wrong. After three months of intensive rehab, he was able to walk with a pronounced limp. He later passed his driving exam, and was eventually able to return to flying small planes, his great passion. After his stroke, he published a memoir of his recovery, Cyclops Awakes. It was followed by a novel, The Bloody War, Mate, loosely based on his early life growing up in wartime London. In 2007, John and Carol traded one small town for another when they moved to Hastings, Carol’s home town. He was active in the Hastings Flying Association, and volunteered with the Barry County Humane Society and with the food pantry sponsored by Barry County Cares. John was preceded in death by his mother, Margaret Powell Mantle; father, Arthur Edward Mantle, and stepfather Conway Gordon-Foxwell. John is survived by his wife, Carol Rose-Mantle; daughters, Victoria Mantle and Emma (Wes) Mathurin and grandson, Tristan Ramos; sister, Jean Collins; brother, Conway (Barbara) Gordon-Foxwell; sister-in-law, Susan (Carl) Mansfield; brother-in-law, Dean (Sandy) Rose; Margaret Mantle, mother of his daughters; and numerous nieces and nephews. John was grateful for the support and friendship he shared with his flying partner, Kirk Emlinger, and his home health aides, Cynthia Anderson and Tracy Schisser. He leaves behind his two precious cats, Sammy and Max, who were a constant source of love and delight. A memorial service will be scheduled at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Barry County Cares, the Barry County Humane Society, the Commission on Aging Parkinson’s Support Group, or the charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Girrbach Funeral Home, Hastings, Michigan. To leave online condolences visit www.girrbachfuneralhome.net.