On February 12, Horst Mann lost his battle with cancer, and Housing, Food and Conference Services lost a good friend and a dedicated employee. Horst joined the department in May, 1976 as the assistant manager with responsibility for all financial aspects of the operation. In September, 1983 he assumed responsibility for the department when he was appointed manager.
He was a quiet man, never one to seek the spotlight, but always there in the background, there to support and there with facts but never with a harsh word. He was a gentle man who kept his own troubles to himself but would always show great sensitivity to the feelings and concerns of his staff. He would go out of his way to make things easier for them. He dedicated himself to the department and to the University. His personal life was entwined with his work environment and it was at work where he met his wife Ulla and it was at Dunsmuir Lodge where they married.
Ina Bureau, a long-time colleague and friend, recalls, ³He was a man of very few words. When called upon to speak at functions or special occasions he would delegate the chore to me. However, I was one of the few people treated to his sense of humour. It was very dry and deep, but he could break you up with some off-the-cuff comment, just when you thought he was being his serious self.
³Horst loved to garden and on weekends you would find him in his glory working with the soil and plants with his faithful dog, Tessa, by his side.²
In 1985, Horst showed us what a courageous person he was when he learned that he had stomach cancer. In his own quiet way, he battled the disease. He struggled on and returned to become a source of inspiration for many who would have to face similar problems.
He fought the latest diagnosis with the same quiet determination as he had before, but it was not to be. Horst left us quietly, just as he had lived and worked and shared with us throughout his life. We will miss him greatly.
Dedicated to the memory of a gentle man
Do not stand by my grave and weep
I am not there, I do not sleep
I am a thousand winds that blow
I am a diamond glint on snow
I am the sunlight on ripened grain
I am the gentle Autumn rain
When you awake in the morning hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
of quiet birds in circling flight
I am the soft star shine at night
Do not stand by my grave and cry
I am not there . . . I did not die
Anonymous
The Ring
University of Victoria
Public Relations and Information Services
or Return to UVICINFO