NO. READING – Gail Manning, a longtime resident of North Reading, MA, passed away on July 12, 2026, after a valiant battle with cancer. She was surrounded by those she loved before she went home to heaven.
Gail was predeceased by her mother and father, Margaret and Daniel Franklin Manning of Haverhill, MA; her brother, David Manning, of Texas; and her nephew, David Adam Baratti, of West Memphis, Arkansas.
Gail devoted 44 years to her career as a laboratory technician with the American Red Cross of Massachusetts at Massachusetts General Hospital. She took great pride in her work, but even more so in the lifelong friendships she forged with her colleagues, relationships she treasured throughout her life.
Gail believed life was meant to be embraced with curiosity, courage, and a spirit of adventure. She never passed up an opportunity to explore, experience something new, or create lasting memories with the people she loved. Whether she was setting out on a whale watch from Gloucester, traveling to favorite destinations like Cancun, Mexico, zip-lining and rappelling through a rainforest, or celebrating her 72nd birthday with a tandem skydive, Gail approached every adventure with enthusiasm and joy. Her greatest adventures, however, were always the ones she shared with family and friends.
Gail never met a stranger. She greeted everyone with warmth and kindness, and she had a genuine curiosity about the people she encountered. She especially cherished the friendships she found at the North Reading Senior Center and the Middleton Council on Aging. Whether gathered around a card table, a Rummikub board, or enjoying a Lunch Bunch outing, Gail built lasting friendships filled with laughter, companionship, and shared joy.
In her later years, Gail found a new calling as an advocate for the senior community in North Reading. Never one to stand by quietly, she wrote countless Letters to the Editor, speaking out whenever she believed change was needed. Guided by a deep sense of justice, she championed fairness, equity, and respect, leaving a lasting mark on the community she cared about so deeply.
Gail found joy in life’s simple and extraordinary pleasures—traveling, spending time in nature, watching the birds that visited her backyard, sharing a good meal, helping others, and, above all, being with family and friends.
Gail is survived by her identical twin sister, Nancy; her brother-in-law, Mario Baratti; her nieces, Laurie (Eugene) and Sara Jones; her great-nephew, Addison Morgan; her great-nieces, Audrey Vanelli and Caitlyn Baratti; and many cherished friends who will miss her deeply.
Gail will be remembered for her generosity, kindness, quick wit, empathy, and wonderful sense of humor. Above all, she will be remembered for the extraordinary bond she shared with her identical twin, Nancy—a connection that remained steadfast and unbreakable throughout their 85 years together.
Family and friends are respectfully invited to attend calling hours on Wednesday, July 22nd from 4 PM until 5 PM at the Kevin B. Comeau Funeral Home, 486 Main Street, Haverhill. A funeral home chapel Celebration of Life will immediately follow calling hours at 6 PM. In place of flowers, donations can be made in her name to the Sophia Gordon Cancer Center at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington, MA. Please visit www.comeaufuneral.com or Comeau Funeral Home on Facebook.
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