Vincent Tyrone Manning –

With most profound sorrow, we announce that Vincent Tyrone Manning (King Mustafaa), age 49, our most beloved son, grandson, brother, father, uncle, cousin, and friend, passed suddenly on Monday, May 10, 2021, while in the hospital. Those who knew Vincent (Mu), even just a little, lost a shining light in their lives.

Vincent will be missed every day by his father, CW3 (RET) Willie Manning Jr., mother, Gwendolyn Manning, step-mother, LTC (RET) Vernita Anderson-Manning, his brothers, Steven Manning, Nathaniel Manning, Joshua Manning, his sisters, Claudia Manning, Yolanda Manning, Dr. Courtney (Koran) Payton, daughter, Tierra Holloway, his sons, Malik Biggs-Manning, JaHaun Biggs-Manning, Princeton Manning, a special little girl, London Hedgepeth,, his grandmothers, Doretha Cooper and Marion Anderson, his loving aunts, uncles, cousins and many, many great friends.

We know Vincent is now with his Creator and is loved here on earth and in heaven.

Build Me a Son, O Lord

Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid; one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat and humble and gentle in victory.

Build me a son whose wishbone will not be where his backbone should be; a son who will know Thee and that to know himself is the foundation stone of knowledge. Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort, but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge. Here let him learn to stand up in the storm; here, let him learn compassion for those who fail.

Build me a son whose heart will be clean, whose goal will be high; a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men; one who will learn to laugh, yet never forget how to weep; one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past.

And after all these things are his, add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor, so that he may always be serious, yet never take himself too seriously. Give him humility so that he may always remember the simplicity of greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, the meekness of true strength.

Then I, his father, will dare to whisper, "I have not lived in vain." (General Douglas MacArthur)

Vincent was the son that General MacArthur so eloquently describes above.

To be absent from the body means to be present with the Lord. We will forever love and miss him!

A public viewing is scheduled for Tuesday, May 18, 2021 from 3 to 6 p.m. at O. H. Smith & Son Funeral Home. Due to COVID restrictions, funeral services will be private.