Vibrant, charismatic, larger-than-life, crazy - just a few of the adjectives used to describe this multi-talented, lovely man of God.

Geoff always said his ambition was to make a difference in this world. Well he did, to so many people's lives, both as a priest where he preached a lively down-to-earth yet in-touch with-heaven version of the gospel of the Jesus he loved, and as a musician where he entertained people from the Reading Rock Festival to regular appearances at the Marquee Club in London.

Geoff (or Edmund Geoffrey Mann to give him his full title) had a degree in Fine Art from Reading University where he met his wife Jane. Their first date was at Genesis in Knebworth in 1978 and they were married 3 months later! Jane worked to support Geoff as he staged one-man exhibitions in galleries throughout the North West and he then stayed at home, writing songs, painting pictures and looking after their two little boys whilst singing and recording with the Prog Rock band 12th Night.

He left the band to concentrate on his role as husband and father, and later trained for ordination, eventually becoming Vicar of St Luke's in Rochdale, after 3 years as Curate of Christ's Church, Harwood, Bolton. After a short illness he died of cancer sixth months after moving to St Luke's.

His openness, love of God and his fellow human beings, and his ability to get on with virtually everyone of any age or religious persuasion (the only exception being the Glen Benton, lead singer of the satanic band Deicide with whom he conducted an infamous interview for Kerrang magazine) ensured that on his death Jane received over 400 letters from people as diverse as the Archbishop of Canterbury, Chris Evans, and Fish, the lead singer of Marillion.

15 years on, people still comment on how they were brought to Christ through his music or a personal conversation with him.

Make a difference?

He certainly did!

JANE MANN
BOLTON ENGLAND