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Died January, 2021.
Brinker Elementary School, Plano, TX
Crossing Guard
Plano parents and children are mourning the loss of a beloved school crossing guard, “Mr. Bob” Manus.
The 79-year-old died this week from COVID-19.
For 16 years, Manus safely walked kids to and from Brinker Elementary in Plano.
Friday, the corner of Clark and Yeary was filled with a sadness felt by parents like Sarah Kissel.
“He’s a fixture in our community. I think you don’t always realize the people who are in your life every day and do these things for your family. Sometimes you don’t recognize it until something like this happens,” said parent and PTA president Sarah Kissel.
The memories of time spent with Mr. Bob are flooding in from families who knew him over the years.
“I’ve had families reach out to me telling me stories about how they have three kids in college, and all of them knew Mr. Bob,” said Kissel.
Sarah said he didn’t have family in town, so kids and parents welcomed him into their own – bringing him Christmas gifts, and singing Happy Birthday to him on his birthday.
As he fought COVID-19 for several weeks in the ICU, parents left messages at the hospital, hoping he would know how much he was loved.
They gave hospital staff a gift basket – as a thank you – for caring for the man who watched over their kids.
“Even a job that you may not think of on a daily basis as being the most important thing can have a huge impact on the community. Mr. Bob impacted all of us, and he was so devoted to his job as a crossing guard, and we are so grateful that he kept our kids safe every day,” said Kissel.
The PTA plans to order a memorial marker and place it at Mr. Bob’s corner so kids can remember him for years to come.
The city of Plano issued a statement about Bob’s death, “The City of Plano would like to express our sadness and sympathy regarding the passing of one of our longest serving crossing guards, Bob Manus. Bob has been a part of the City’s Crossing Guard program for 18 years. He was very special to the Brinker Elementary community. His role helping children get safely across the street on their way to and from school was the most important thing to him. His dedication was truly admirable. He had a close relationship with parents. Many Brinker moms have been looking out for Bob through the years, offering him a helping hand to meet his needs. Some of those moms now have adult children. He died of complications from COVID-19. He had been in the ICU at Baylor Scott and White Medical Center – Centennial in Frisco for several weeks. Bob was a very special man. He would have turned 80 this year. He will be sorely missed by the Crossing Guard program and all those who knew him.”