Iris C. Mann

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27 Iris Colette Mann, 62, of Washington, DC and Falls Church, Virginia passed away peacefully at Halquist Hospice Arlington, Virginia on August 26, 2016 at 11:35 p.m. after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. She was surrounded by love in her transition; carefully watched over by her sister, brother and brother-in-law. Ms. Mann led a cherished and unique life from its beginning. Born April 20, 1954, in New Orleans, Louisiana to William and Willa Mann, she was the second of three children. At the age of 3, she moved with her family to Koforidua, Ghana for her father’s position with the Near East Foundation. Over the next 15 years, later with USAID and finally with the U.S. Department of State, his career would take them around the world several times over, stopping to live in places such as the Philippines, Chile, Panama, and Jamaica, and travels to several continents and countries during the years. In 1971 she returned with her family to the United States from Chile to complete high school and begin her collegiate journey at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia and later Howard University in Washington, DC. She later traveled with her parents to live in Panama. While there, she completed several advanced studies in Pre-Columbian Art, and earned the diploma of French certification through the Alliance Française. When her parents returned to the United States to settle into retirement in 1985, she was a faithful daughter and moved with them to Fort Worth, Texas, where she lived until returning with her mother to the DC metro area in 1997. Together, they found their church home in Georgetown Washington, DC at the Anglican Parish of Christ the King where Ms. Mann continued to serve and worship through the end of her life. The most important virtue in Iris Mann’s life was her unwavering faith in God. Anglican Parish of Christ the King was her parish home. It served as a place of spiritual invigoration, deep community and fellowship. She was a loyal and active member who strove to see and receive the God in everyone. Her beliefs were firmly rooted in the Bible and augmented with ongoing biblical study groups. Her abiding and boundless faith will certainly be one of her most powerful legacies. Iris Mann’s professional life reflected her interests, passions and curiosities. Her exquisite taste in art, her knowledge of history and culture, and her noble pursuit of refinement consumed her and she devoured anything that expressed creativity from the human soul. She was in Heaven whenever she entered a museum, felt a richly textured bookbinding, glimpsed an exquisitely designed structure, heard music that stirred the soul, or even the service and presentation of a fine feast — all art. Her encyclopedic knowledge of paintings, sculptures, textiles and mixed media was unparalleled. She used her aesthetic brilliance to support and foster the artistic careers of local artists and curators. She filled her home with incredible one-of-a-kind works, books and artifacts. Michaelangelo expressed it well: ‘The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection.’ Although art was her passion, her interests were many and included international business and development which led her to work with organizations that reflected her family’s lifelong involvement with international development. She worked with the Asia Society, the World Bank, and the United States House of Representatives. Her deep passion for fine art and Washington’s exquisite cultural institutions, led her to volunteer as a docent at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the Phillips Collection and the National Gallery for nearly two decades. She worked with the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service SITES. Each Sunday, she enjoyed at least one lecture or lecture-related event with her fiancé and partner in faith, Rocco Zappone. Her love of live arts and performance landed her at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, securing patron memberships for the institution, where she had worked for the past several years. Iris Mann was a devoted sister, aunt, and grand aunt. She called her family, “my divine earthly gift,” and “the most important people in the world.” She is survived by her older sister, Laura Charis Mann Willis Diallo Pasadena, California and younger brother, Grant William Mann Alexandria, Virginia, her nieces, Charise Clare-Danielle Meyer Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti, Michigan, Morgan Mann Willis Detroit, Michigan, Meagan Alexandra Mann Alexandria, Virginia, nephew Michael William Mann Alexandria, Virginia, grand-nieces, Raeya Morgan Meyer and Camille Christy Meyer Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti, Michigan, and extended family. She is also survived by her fiance and partner in faith, Rocco Zappone of Washington, DC. Iris Mann’s public viewing will be at Cunningham Turch Funeral Home, 811 Cameron Street in Alexandria, Virginia on Friday, September 9, 2016 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Her Requiem Mass funeral service will take place on Saturday, September 10th at 1:00 p.m. at her home church, Anglican Parish of Christ the King, 2727 O St NW in Georgetown, Washington, DC. Interment will take place this month in Fort Worth, Texas. She was an avid lover of flowers — particularly irises, orchids and lilies — and would be overjoyed by an abundance of them at her wake and Requiem Mass service. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to The Iris Colette Mann Memorial Fund, which is being established at the Anglican Parish of Christ the King in her honor, to establish a mission for addressing the needs of the homeless in the community. Please address donations to Anglican Parish of Christ the King and reference “The Iris Colette Mann Memorial Fund.” “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” Psalms 23:6