William North Mann Jr.

Bill Mann was born on October 4, 1948 and passed away peacefully on August 13, 2024 in Tyler, Texas.

The son of O’Rena “Rena” and Bill Mann, Sr., he had many good memories of growing up in Mineola,

Texas and making frequent trips to Houston to visit Grandma Mann. From a young age, Bill enjoyed

sports, with football always being his favorite. He joined the U.S. Navy and attended basic training

between Junior and Senior years at Mineola High School. After graduation he went on his first Naval

Cruise and ended up in a Marine Division on the DMZ in Vietnam. He married Dianne in June of 1970,

and in May of 1971 they welcomed their first lovely daughter, Trisha. In April of 1975 Heather was born,

and finally in January of 1977, Troy joined them, and their family was complete. They lived in Mineola

where Bill worked for Union Pacific Railroad for over 30 years. He was a proud father and loved all three

of his children very much. Trisha was his rock, and he depended on her until his death. He created a

huge Dallas Cowboys fan in Heather and loved talking sports with her. Bill was very proud of Troy, his

son that works so hard. He loved his granddaughter, Alex, and was heartbroken when she passed away

too soon. Bill looked forward to the NFL draft every year, making notes of team picks. He was very

proud of his service in Vietnam, and it was rare to see him without a Vietnam Vet hat on his head.

Known for his sarcastic humor, Bill lived a simple life and enjoyed his dog, eating hot dogs, smoking

cigarettes, watching TV and visiting with his kids.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents and granddaughter, Alexandria Conway. He is survived by

daughter Trisha Mann-Taylor and son-in-law Robert Taylor and their son Justin Taylor, daughter Heather

Mann and partner Bryan Davis, and son Troy Mann.

The family would like to thank the staff of The Fountains of Tyler for their constant loving care of “Mr.

William”, and especially Ms. Amada, who had cared for him for so long.

Funeral services will be held Friday, August 16, 2 p.m. at Beaty Funeral Home, Mineola, TX with

interment following at Roselawn Memorial Garden. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully asks

donations be made to Vietnam Veterans of America (https://vva.org/donate/) in his honor.