Derry, NH - William (Bill) Mannion, 77, passed away on Friday, April 15, 2022, at Birch Heights retirement community in Derry after a long illness. Bill and his wife Patricia, were long time residents of Alton and Wilmot.

Bill was born in the Bronx, received a BA in History from St. John’s University and an MA in History specializing in Russia, China, and Japanese economic development.

He worked at the New York Times from 1962 to 1974 as Metropolitan Clerk, News Assistant to the National Desk and Culture Obit Desk, News Summary writer, which appears on the second front of the paper, and Broadcast News for WQXR, the radio station of the Times.

Bill moved to Manchester, New Hampshire to operate a printing company, where he met his wife Patricia of 42 years. He attended Southern New Hampshire University (New Hampshire College) studying for an MBA specializing in information technology.

While at the SNHU he was adjunct professor of computer studies for the Upstart Program designed to aid the unemployed to return to the workforce. He was managing editor of the Journal of Educational Computing, under the editorship of Dr. Robert Seidman. The magazine published refereed articles on the effect of computers on education.

In 1986 Bill accepted the position of Academic Computing Director at Colby-Sawyer College from President Peggy Stock with the intention to modernize computer facilities and studies at the liberal arts college.

He established a computer classroom with IBM PCs to replace outdated TRS-60s where he taught his computer classes and created computer pods throughout the campus. Bill worked with the faculty to integrate computer technology into their various disciplines and curriculum. He opened his computer classes to the local community and participated in Elder Hostile programs.

After Colby-Sawyer, Bill worked briefly as a contracted computer analyst for the Federal court in Concord, a senior tech writer, and eventually joined the fulltime faculty at McIntosh College in Dover, teaching computer studies and economics, and from where he retired in 2010.

Concerned about community and civic affairs, Bill took an active interest in the communities where he resided. While residing in Londonderry he served as president of the MidRidge Condo Association. In Wilmot he was a member and chair of the ZBA and president of the Wilmot Community Association. In Alton, he served many years on the Milfoil Committee and the intertown Cyanobacteria Mitigation Steering Committee. He was a frequent contributor to the local newspaper, the Baysider. Many of his articles informed the community of the growing danger from invasive species, particularly variable milfoil, in our water bodies.

As a resident on Halfmoon Lake, Bill created and was webmaster of the lake association’s website. He was for ten years Vice President and President of the Halfmoon Lake Association.

Bill and Pat enjoyed their lakefront living on Halfmoon Lake and over many years hosted annual road parties and family reunions.

He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Patricia (Condict) Mannion; two children, David DeCosmo and his wife Michelle, and Darren DeCosmo and his wife Lisa, both of Derry; four grandchildren, Nathan, Kaylie, Meghan, and Brittany, all of Derry; a brother Martin of Atlanta, two nieces, Jane Mannion-Henderson of Arlington, MA, and Maureen Mannion of Atlanta, and a nephew Martin Mannion of Suwanee, Ga. He is predeceased by his parents Martin and Margaret Mannion of the Bronx, and a brother John of St George, UT.

Following cremation, a funeral mass will be held Thursday, April 21st, 2022, at 11:00am in St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 26 Crystal Avenue, Derry, NH.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to hospice care at the Visiting Nurse Association of Manchester and Southern New Hampshire. 

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