In Memory
Information from Richard J Doyle 05/24/2021 JFC
Paul Manion and I were debate partners at South Bend Central and good close friends for all the years thereafter. He and I practiced law together in Illinois before I went on to be states attorney and he finished up a very successful law practice and retired in about 2005. He was in relatively good health until developing leukemia late in life and continued to enjoy traveling with his family untill shortly before death. He and Bonnie (Rivard) Manion ( class of St. Mary’s ) moved to St. Louis From Hoopeston Illinois for his continuing treatments at Barnes for several years and she remains in the area with children and grandchildren.
Paul T. Manion
Apr. 7, 1940 - Apr. 2, 2020
Paul T. Manion of St. Louis, Missouri, passed from this life on Thursday (April 2, 2020).
He was born in Decatur, Illinois on April 7, 1940, the son of Charles and Jeannette Manion.
He and his beloved wife, Bonnie, who survives him, lived almost all of their 59 years of marriage in Hoopeston, , Illinoismoving to St. Louis in 2018 to seek medical treatment for Paul’s leukemia.
Paul worked full time as an insurance investigator during both college and law school. While living at the home of his parents in South Bend, Indiana he earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from Notre Dame in 1961. 1961 was also the year he married Bonnie Rivard, when they were 21 and 19 years of age, which Paul always insisted was the wisest decision he had ever made.
In 1964, Paul received his law degree, with honors, and Bonnie received her undergraduate degree cum laude from DePaul University of Chicago. After brief stints with a major Chicago law firm, and as an assistant state’s attorney in Iroquois County, Paul opened his solo practice office in Hoopeston at age 27. The firm ultimately grew to an eight-attorney litigation firm, achieving a number of million-dollar awards and several not-guilty verdicts in murder prosecutions.
Paul gave generously of his time to volunteer projects. He served as president of Hoopeston Little League and on many charitable boards, and was recognized for his contributions to the community. For several years, Paul was a volunteer chair of AA meetings at the Danville Correctional Center.
Paul and Bonnie were active presiders for Marriage and Engaged Encounter Weekends through the Diocese of Peoria for more than 25 years. He served as a member of the board of managers of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association for more than 10 years, frequently lecturing and organizing training seminars for trial lawyers. Paul also served 22 years on the board of directors of Citizens State Bank in Milford.
He was very proud of their six successful children, Chrissie (Koorosh) Zaerpoor, physicist/engineer and organic farmer and author in Yamhill, Oregon, Sheila (Joe) Kimlinger, civil/structural engineer at TWM Engineering in Swansea, Illinois, Tess (Tom) Bailey, medical doctor and associate medical director for community health initiatives at Carle in Urbana, Illinois, Michael (Janice), factory distribution supervisor at Teasdale in Hoopeston, Dan, mechanical engineer and Hampton, Illinois fire captain and Brian (Gaylin), attorney and chief of the Scott Air Force Base Labor Law Field Support Center Regional Office (who was blessed to be able to practice alongside Paul for a few years in Hoopeston). Paul was a devoted father and was adored by his 15 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He is also survived by four siblings: Marinelle, James, Marthanne and Jeanmarie.
Paul and Bonnie enjoyed 59 wonderful years of marriage and traveled extensively by themselves and with their children, visiting all 50 states at least 40 countries. Paul wanted it duly noted that he had a full and fortunate life. He extends his thanks to friends and especially family for the good life he had received.
News-Gazette, The (Champaign-Urbana, IL)
03/22/2022 DEC
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