A dozen years ago I was so intrigued with Larry Manes’s flashy wardrobe that I invited myself to his and wife Nelda Cuppy’s home in Moran to learn what was behind it.
She was.
Nelda was an expert seamstress who indulged Larry’s whimsical tastes.
He loved satin and sparkles. Jeweled-hewed colors. Paisley or plaid.
Larry said he made a point of wearing something with “pizzazz” when he attended the quarterly meetings of the Kansas Association of Community College Trustees, slightly jabbing at the staid group.
Larry died Tuesday at age 78.
What he brought to Allen County is worth remembering.
He came this way via a teaching position at Allen Community County in 1976 where he concentrated on math-related subjects including banking and agricultural finance as well as geology and creative writing.
He was a Renaissance man.
He joined the Navy “to see the world,” but instead was stationed in Idaho Falls, Idaho where he studied nuclear energy in the development of the aircraft carrier the USS Enterprise, which was powered by nuclear energy.
After the Navy and five years of “purposeful floating,” Manes took a second try at college and earned a degree in economics followed by a master’s in the same field from Pittsburg State University.
He loved history and became president of the Allen County History Society.
He loved science, devoting a part of his summers mining for silver in southwest Colorado.
He loved ACC sports, faithfully keeping stats for the Lady Devils basketball games and driving the team’s bus.
He loved his planet, most recently becoming involved in a local effort to begin a recycling program.
And he loved people, never hesitating to give of his time to local do-gooder efforts including Moran Ruritan, Moran Pride, the Marmaton Market and Thrive Allen County.
On the day I visited in February 2011, Larry and Nelda graciously took me through their modest home. In Nelda’s sewing room were two 1630 Berninas and a Baby Lock serger.
Nelda also sewed for herself, preferring a more understated look. Her blouse that day was a subdued blue with a network of pleats that flowed out from a tasteful collar.
She liked the contrast of their styles, adding, “We couldn’t both be in the same room if I dressed like that,” joking about the “glare factor” of Larry’s shirts.
