FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Late Lee County Commissioner Frank Mann was laid to rest Saturday. His funeral services were held at the Covenant Presbyterian Church in Fort Myers. According to the pastor of the church, Mann helped put together his own memorial service. Many people in the community attended.
“We’re here to mourn our great loss of Commissioner Frank Mann,” Sheriff Carmine Marceno, of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said. “Everything he did was public service. He’s a legend.”
Mann left video messages to be played for all who attended his funeral. In some of the videos he described why he chose specific scriptures and hymns.
“I exist therefore I was created and that’s what I like about this next song because it speaks to the relationship between myself and my creator because no matter how bad things are, no matter how good things are, he, my creator is always there.”
Mann began working in public service in 1974, serving eight years in the Florida House of Representatives and four years in the Florida Senate, representing several Southwest Florida counties, officials said.
Many spoke highly of Mann and his accomplishments but also how they will forever remember his southern accent and his will to make a way.
“A great legend here in Lee County. I enjoyed working with him over the last 10 years and his decades of service here in Lee County, you can see it everywhere you go,” Lee County Commissioner Cecil Pendergrass said.
“I look at conservation I think of Frank Mann and what we tried to do in 2020 and everything we tried to accomplish. He was obviously really there and always advocating. It was great to work with him,” Lee County Commisioner Kevin Ruane said.
“I mean it almost doesn’t even seem real yet. I expect him to be there at the next meeting and I know that he’s not going to be and so that next meeting is going to be different without him,” Brian Hamman, Lee County Commissioner District 4, said.
Mann’s oldest son, Frank Jr. spoke to the crowd and even made them laugh.
“I came across a quote the other day and I just knew I had to use it because it’s almost eerily real vent to today. It’s by Winston Churchill. He said I am prepared to meet my maker, whether my maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter.”
With his final goodbye video, Mann left this message.
“This is my sad, this is my final farewell and my final thank you and my final I love you to my beloved Marie Lee. It’ll be followed by the benediction. Thank you all so very much,” Mann said in the video.
Officials said Mann died at the age of 80 at his home in Alva. He died after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
