Pupils of St Andrew’s Primary and St Paul’s Academy, Dundee, have paid tribute to former lollipop man Jack Mannion, who has died aged 80.
Many from St Paul’s attended his funeral at Saints Leonard and Fergus Church and representatives of St Andrew’s visited his family afterwards.
Jack became a school crossing patroller aged 65 when he retired as a labourer in the construction industry.
His son, Craig, said: “The pupils who came to the service were clearly very fond of my dad.
“We also got cards from the parents of children he helped across the road over the years saying how much they will miss him.
“One in particular said how happy they were when he showed up as a lollipop man at St Paul’s as they missed him since they left St Andrew’s Primary School.”
Jack was born in Dundee in March 1943 to lorry driver Johnny Mannion and his wife Peggy, a weaver.
He grew up with siblings Vina and a younger brother, Jim, who died in 1994 aged 41.
His education took place at St Patrick’s primary and St Michael’s secondary and when he left school, Jack trained as butcher.
He then moved into the building trade, working for several firms in the Dundee area before joining Forman Construction as a labourer and spending the majority of his working life with the firm.
Jack had met his future wife, Margaret, at the JM Ballroom in Dundee. They married at St Patrick’s Church in 1964 and went on to have two of a family, Jack and Craig, who married Jacquie and Mary respectively.
He retired in 2008 aged 65 and began work as a lollipop man, first at St Andrew’s and later at St Paul’s.
A lifelong Dundee United supporter, Jack and Margaret used to enjoy visiting the North End Club on Saturdays.
Craig said: “My father took me and my brother to the football from a young age, and as the years went by, eight of us from the family attended matches together.
“My brother and I still have great memories of cup finals, apart from the result the vast majority of the time, and of watching the league win and league cups with my dad.
“He also loved his holidays and had travelled the world, including China to visit my brother when he worked there, Florida for family Disney holidays, Caribbean cruises, and they had loads of good memories from visiting different parts of Spain.
“His number one love though was his family. He was always family first and was a great dad, and loved being a grandad and gave his grandchildren so much of his time.”
Jack was grandfather to Lisa, Ailsa, Jessica and Ewan and great-grandfather to Miles, Fergus and Molly.
You can read the family’s announcement here.
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