Brothers,

A few weeks ago, it came to mind that we had not heard from Brother Paul Manger of Alpha Chapter since just after the 2023 pilgrimage to New Haven. I did a search and found Brother Paul’s Obituary on Jenkins-King Funeral Home Website. Brother Paul passed away January 25, 2024 at age 89. Brother Paul was our only remaining Alpha Chapter contact. As you can see by Brother Manger’s obituary he lived a very full and wonderful life.

Brother Trent Armitage (Gamma Psi, Eta Chapter) contacted Brother Paul in the late 2000s. Here’s Brother Trent’s recollections:

“When I became a brother of Gamma Psi, the collegiate version of Gamma Delta Psi, I took an interest in learning more about our history and connection to Hillhouse High School in New Haven. Having been born in CT, I decided to visit the school and reach out to Paul Manger as one of the alumni from that first chapter. Paul was kind enough to invite me into his home and discuss the early days of the fraternity with me. Paul did not know me or even have contact with the modern fraternity chapters, but welcomed me into his home and answered my questions about his time with Gamma Delta Psi. I was grateful for his willingness to engage with me.” 

In a phone conversation I had in the early 2010s, Brother Paul told me he had pledged for Gamma Delta Psi in 1950, was Alpha Chapter President in 1951 and graduated from Hillhouse HS in 1952. We spoke about Fraternity in the early 1950s, the lifelong friendships he still maintained (Brothers Anees Adil, Howie Gartland and others) and the demise of Alpha Chapter at Hillhouse due to anti-fraternity sentiments by school staff and administration in 1953 or 54. Here’s a photo of Brother Manger from the 1952 Hillhouse HS yearbook:

We contacted Brother Paul ahead of the New Haven pilgrimage and he told us he’d see us in New Haven. As the event approached our messages went unanswered. Brother Manger later contacted us to say he’d been hospitalized during our visit but had wanted to attend.

Rest in Peace Brother Paul.