Mann, George
George Mann, of Lethbridge, beloved husband of the late Nellie Mann, passed away peacefully at Park Meadows Good Samaritans Society on Monday, September 15, 2025 at the age of 94 years.
George was born on February 8, 1931 to Agnes (née Sinclair) and Gustav Assmann at the Galt Hospital in Lethbridge. His family moved to Bashaw AB when he was eight months old. Following eight happy years growing up with his cousins in Bashaw, George and his parents entered a period of instability, seeking work for his father, a journeyman pipe fitter. A final move at age 14, allowed George to finish Grade 8 at Central School in Lethbridge. It was while attending the Lethbridge Collegiate Institute that George met Nellie Dogterom. They were married in 1952 and had had four children: David, Laurin, Debbie, and Darin.
George’s love of singing began in 1939 when he was awarded a Superior mark in the Camrose Festival Grade 2 Boys’ Solo, and he continued singing as an adult, performing in 1950 with the University of Alberta Mixed Chorus and later with the Lethbridge Symphony Choir. In addition, George and his daughter Debbie sang together in the choir at McKillop.
George graduated with a B.Ed. from the University of Alberta in 1953. After graduation, George accepted a teaching position in Lacombe AB. George moved his family to Lethbridge in 1956 when he accepted a teaching position at Wilson Junior High School. George took summer school and a one year leave in Edmonton to complete a Masters’ degree from the U of A in 1961 which allowed him to teach at the Lethbridge Junior College, now Lethbridge Polytechnic.
During the summer of 1967, George took classes at the University of Oregon in Eugene. He accepted a faculty position at the newly formed University of Lethbridge in the Department of Sociology, and was granted a one-year sabbatical and one-year unpaid leave to complete a Ph.D. from the University of Colorado in 1974. His 23-year career at University of Lethbridge included a faculty position in the Department of Sociology before administrative roles as Associate Dean of Student Services and then Associate Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science. He retired in 1990.
Upon retirement, George set about to author two books, Theatre Lethbridge, 1993 and Sterndale Bennett, 2003. He was the recipient of the Alberta Centennial Medal in 2005 for his commitment to community theatre. Most notably George was named Honorary Lifetime Member of the Playgoers’ Club of Lethbridge, after, 25 years of contributions on stage, as club historian, and as director. George played the role of Ali Hakim in the Lethbridge Musical Theatre production of Oklahoma in 1964, and went on to play supporting roles in numerous LMT productions, earning a"Lemmy" award in 1982. George was an avid Edmonton Oilers fan and Edmonton Eskimos (now Elks) fan. He loved watching ice skating and tennis, listening to CBC radio, and Rosemary Clooney and eating apple pie and ice cream. The words most often used to describe him by those who knew him were, “He was a gentleman and he was kind”.
Sources:
https://www.ulethbridge.ca/notice/notices/condolences-%E2%80%94-dr-george-mann
Cornerstone Funeral Home - George Mann