It is with much sadness that we announce the passing of Philip J. Manke, 80, of Wautoma, WI. Phil passed away on December 21 after a brief illness.

Phil is survived by his devoted wife of 17 years, Mary (nee Stier) Manke, of Wautoma, WI. He is survived by sisters Betty Riemer, Louise Breitlow, and numerous nieces, nephews, a brother-in-law, grand nieces, grand nephews, cousins, and all of their families, as well as many friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Jacob and Marie (Limpl) Manke, a brother, David Manke, a nephew, Daryl, and a niece, Jennifer Schmidt.

Phil’s purpose in life was discovering how things worked, eventually finding out how his mind ‘worked’ with the world. Phil grew up on a farm in the Township of Lisbon, Waukesha County. He helped on the farm, and was impressed on the value of having a home garden. He was always ready to try something new.

He worked at many different trades: cars sales, book salesman, pump jockey, painting at Husco in Waukesha, lumberyard, construction foreman, and back to small farming. He liked flying and was a pilot. One year he built an Avid Flyer Kit plane. He was also a skilled mechanic, adept at a variety of cutting, welding, and building equipment for himself and others. He built a self-emptying silage cart for a farmer. Among all this, he held keen interest in renewable energy. After retiring, he finally achieved his long held desire to have PV panels to produce his home’s power needs. Late in life, surprising many friends, he found another path of assisting others through a ministry after completing courses at Pathways of Light® college, based on the teachings of A Course In Miracles.

The love and support he gave so freely will be missed by all those whose lives he touched. There will be no services. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Pathways of Light (pathwaysoflight.org)

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