During the early years of the Public House, Jimmy Mann and his then-wife, Hedy, were among the core regulars at a time when we needed customers the most. I'll always be grateful to him for that, but of course there was much more to the man than my own mercantile considerations.
Every now and then, descriptors like "one of a kind" and "broke the mold" are apt, and so they are with Jimmy. His bosom buddy Cary Stemle has written a fine remembrance, with all the pertinent details. It it reprinted here with Cary's kind permission (photo from Cary's Fb posting).
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(Saturday, June 6)
As you may know by now from following these feeds, our great friend James Mann has left us. Hearts are broken.
Below is the obituary I was privileged to write. A shorter version will be in The Courier-Journal on Sunday, but I wanted to get the important details out now.
Visitation is set for Monday from 2-8 p.m. at Newcomer Funeral Home, 3309 Ballard Lane, New Albany, Ind. 47150.
Please share this information as widely as possible so everyone has the chance to make it. Photographs, music and Jimmy stories are encouraged on Monday.
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James Joseph Mann III, of Louisville died Thursday at home surrounded by the love of family and friends. He was 63.
Jimmy was born on Aug. 10, 1951 in Louisville and grew up in Louisville and Southern Indiana.
He was preceded in death by his father, James Mann Jr.. He is survived by his mother, JoAnn Jacobs; longtime companion Jenny McClure Smith, who took care of him during his 10-month illness; sons J.J. Mann (Sarah Truman) of Clarksville, and Bowen Mann of Louisville; his sister Sherry Korte (Pudge) of Jeffersonville; brothers Jeff (Lisa), Clarksville, Chris (Theresa) of Charlotte, N.C., and Brad (Tatiana Garcia) of Atlanta; grandson Ben Mann and granddaughter Eden Mann, and several nieces and nephews.
Jimmy was a 1969 graduate of Clarksville High School, attended Indiana University and received a nursing degree from Ivy Tech. He was a registered nurse and worked many years at University of Louisville Hospital. He also worked for ResCare, through which he had the privilege of caring for Kevin Rudolph for several years — his favorite job.
Jimmy was a seeker, always on the lookout for new friends and new experiences. He loved sports, the Kentucky Wildcats in particular, and he was a longtime season ticket-holder. He rooted faithfully for the Cincinnati Reds.
He was smart and funny and handsome, and he could be a curmudgeon (though he would’ve scoffed at that idea). He loved to debate — and argue. He was a liberal/radical Democrat who enjoyed movies and especially loved a good live music exhibition — even more if it was free.
He loved bowling and mountain biking and softball, trying new restaurants, hearing new bands and drinking craft beer. He never met a stranger, feared no one and generally enjoyed pushing the envelop in life.
He will be greatly missed by an immeasurable number of people.
Jimmy’s family requests your presence at Newcomer Funeral Home, 3309 Ballard Lane, New Albany on Monday, June 8, where they’ll receive visitors and memorialize Jimmy’s life from 2 to 8 p.m.
Photographs, music and Jimmy stories are encouraged.
Expressions of sympathy may be directed to the Louisville-Southern Indiana chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (www.lls.org/kentucky-southern-indiana), Musicians Emergency Resource Foundation (www.merfbenefit.org) or the Kentucky Mountain Biking Association Louisville chapter (www.kymba/louisville.org).
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