Vernon Gene Mann died unexpectedly of a heart attack on Sunday, March 17th in Vine Grove, Kentucky at the age of 75. He was born in Pikeville, Kentucky, December 5, 1948. His parents were Arnold Curtis Mann and Opal Clarice Hurley Mann, who were from Morgan County, Kentucky, Gene was a member of the Coal Run Church of Christ, in Coal Run, Kentucky, and the Southland Christian Church in Lexington, Kentucky. He was active in youth group and attended Christian camp during the summers. As a teen, Gene had a thriving lawn care business. He was in demand by neighbors, and his customers often paid him more than he charged because of his outstanding result. By his first year of college, Gene was proud to be able to buy his first car, a blue MGB convertible sports car. Gene attended Pikeville College Academy, Mullins Consolidated School, and then graduated from Lafayette High School, Lexington, Kentucky in 1966. He attended The University of Kentucky, in Lexington, Kentucky, and Tennessee Tech University, Cookeville, TN majoring in electrical and mechanical engineering. He worked with Square D by Schneider Electric in Lexington, Kentucky. He also worked for major electronics stores in Lexington, Kentucky and Rockville, Maryland before attending Tennessee Tech University. He moved to College Park, Maryland to be near his family, and then moved to Snow Hill, Maryland where he was a waiter in Ocean City, Maryland. He worked over 25 years for Mario’s, a five star restaurant. He also worked in popular breakfast restaurants in Ocean City. When Gene’s mother, Opal, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, Gene moved to The Villages in Florida to take care of her. As she moved in and out of the hospital, and in and out of nursing homes, Gene stayed with her. He kept her records, communicated with her doctors and nurses so he could assure she followed their advice. He watched after her, took her to medical appointments, made sure she had quality care, and supported her needs. He usually slept in his car so he could stay near her and be just a few steps away. He gave her security, love, quality assistance, and just-in-time care. His aunt Roz Hurley said: “He was a good caring son when she needed him the most.” When his mother passed away in 2009, Gene returned to Snow Hill, Maryland where he lived for a decade. In 2019, Gene moved to Vine Grove, Kentucky to live with his long-time friend, Pam Mink.

Gene loved to fix things and collect things to fix. He could fix nearly anything mechanical or electrical. He enjoyed repairing his vehicles, and discussing methods of doing so with family and friends. He enjoyed making friends of his customers and remembering their favorite dishes. People often came to Mario’s looking for Gene to be their waiter for the evening. He also became friends with the Mario’s owner staying until the very end of the evening to assure the kitchen was clean, and running errands needed to assure everything was ready for a new shift. He worried about the health of family and friends. He would study the latest health news and trends and then share it with others. He worried that they might not know some options for treatment and good health. While he rarely went to a doctor himself, he always wanted to save family and friends from illness and to keep them healthy. Howard Cemetery in Pleasant Run, Morgan County, Kentucky is his final place of rest. It is a family cemetery that is located on a beautiful knoll overlooking a farm where he will be with his parents, grandparents and ancestors. Gene is survived by his son, Brandon Mink and his children, Josie Dawn Mink and Fredric Albert Arnold Mink, Rineyville, Kentucky; sister, Patricia Mann Sobrero, Franklin, TN; aunt, Rosalyn Hurley, Elizabethtown, Pa; first cousin, Sharon Hurley Short and her family, Centerville, Ohio; first cousin, Caroline Hurley Young and her family, Athens, TN; first cousin, Deborah Marcum Grant and her family, Buford, GA; Delbert and Harold Leach and their families, Lexington, KY; first cousin Caroldene Leach McGuire and her family, Ezel, Kentucky; friend, Pam Mink, Viney Grove, Kentucky and her daughters, Jeanell (Nicki) Snyder, Rineyville, KY, and Jessica Whitehouse, Vine Grove, KY.