Robert E. “Bob” Mann, of Gainsborough Street, formerly of Buffalo, N.Y., died suddenly on Dec. 18.
The beloved son of the late Eugene and Adeline (Brzezowicz) Mann, and the loving brother of Richard Mann of Redondo Beach, Calif., Mr. Mann was born on April 16, 1952, in Buffalo, N.Y. He attended Bishop Turner High School in Buffalo and graduated in 1970, and then St. Bonaventure University in New York before graduating in 1974. He started his career in the computer industry working for IBM in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. He then moved to Boston in 1982 and settled in the Back Bay. Over his career, he worked for several computer companies as a performance engineer, most recently at Kforce in Boston.
Mr. Mann was an active member of St. Cecilia Parish, volunteering as a lector at Masses. He was also a member of the Fenway CDC (Community Development Corporation), among other organizations.
Additionally, Mr. Mann was an avid Boston sports fan, as well as a proud Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots season-ticket holder.
In an online tribute to Mr. Mann on the Boston Ward 4 Democratic Committee’s website, Carol Lasky, the group’s co-chair, wrote that “he could always be counted on to show up for rallies, house parties, and organizing meetings for progressive candidates and causes, and that “his courteousness and generosity were remarkable.”
The online tribute also contained an outpouring from elected and city officials honoring Mr. Mann, including from Rep. Jay Livingstone; City Councilor Ruthzee Louijeune; Julia Leja, chief communications officer for Mayor Michelle Wu’s office; Anshi Moreno, the city’s senior policy advisor; and Kennedy Avery, chief of staff for District 8 City Councilor Sharon Durkan.
“I am having a tough time believing I won’t be seeing him around the neighborhood. Gosh, he was dedicated to so many efforts and a friend to so many people,” Avery wrote in remembering Mr. Mann.
Family and friends honored and remembered Mr. Mann’s life by gathering for a visiting hour on Dec. 21 at St. Cecilia Church in Boston. A graveside service and burial was held on Dec. 23 at St. Adalbert Cemetery in Cheektowaga, N.Y.