Thomas (Tom) Asbury ManuelBonita Springs, FLThomas Asbury (Tom) Manuel passed away on October 14 at his home in Bonita Springs, Florida, with his loving wife Suzi at his side, after a long and courageous battle with cancer. He was born on January 3, 1936 in Austin, Texas to Dr. Herschel T. Manuel, a professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas, and his wife, Dorothy Broad Manuel. He grew up and attended the schools of Austin, graduating in 1953 as valedictorian of his class at Austin High School. He was a member of the University Presbyterian Church, an Eagle Scout, and an avid tennis player. He attended Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio, majored in chemistry and graduated in 1957 with the Slocum Prize as first in his class. He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, was elected Phi Beta Kappa in his junior year, was president of Omicron Delta Kappa, the senior leadership honorary, and belonged to honoraries in chemistry, debate, and journalism. He won first prize in a national essay contest on "Why I Want to be a Chemist," sponsored by the American Institute of Chemists. In 1957, he enrolled in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University, supported by a General Electric Fellowship and later a series of National Science Foundation fellowships. He received the A.M. and PhD. degrees in chemistry in 1958 and 1961, respectively. Tom started his professional life as a chemist with the company that eventually became Exxon, moving through various positions in Linden, New Jersey and Brussels, Belgium. In 1977, he moved to Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. in Allentown, Pennsylvania, retiring in 1998 as Vice-President of Chemicals Group Technology. His professional interests focused on inorganic coordination chemistry, polymers, and leadership of research and development organizations. He generated over thirty papers and patents; consulted with the Department of Energy; led multiple boards and councils, including the Industrial Research Institute, the Council for Chemical Research, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Washington D.C. In Allentown, he was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, the Board of the Boys and Girls Club of Allentown, and the Lehigh Country Club, which he served as board member and Treasurer. In Bonita Springs, he was active in his community of Pelican Landing, serving as Chairman of the Long-Range Planning Committee, leader of the capital improvement program, and Vice-President of the Board of Directors during two terms of office. He was a member of the Pelican's Nest Golf Club and tutored English as a second language at the Literacy Council of Bonita Springs.Tom was an avid tennis player, stopping only when his physical condition gave him no other option. A great lover of nature and the outdoors, Tom spent many happy hours with his family vacationing in the Adirondack Mountains. He also loved travel, gardening, reading, eating Suzi's cherry pie, cheering on the University of Texas Longhorns, and making those around him groan from his pun-peppered sense of humor. With a background in debate, Tom always appreciated a good political "discussion." He is survived by his wife, Suzi; son, Thomas B. Manuel; daughter, Elisabeth Manuel; step-daughters, Kathryn Terry and Megan (Terrence) Leddy; six delightful grandchildren, Quinn, Grace, Topher, Annie, Willy, and Phoebe; his sister, Ele Jackson; former wife, Sally Waddell, and deceased wife, Nancy Schneider. We are grateful to Fran, who brought joy and compassion to Tom in his decline, and to our loving family and friends who gathered around us through this arduous journey.He was deeply loved and will be missed by so many. A celebration of Tom's life will occur on Saturday, October 21, 2017 at 11am at the First Presbyterian Church of Bonita. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made to the .