The Reverend Douglas Wayne Manning, a church pastor who became one of the nation’s leaders in grief, celebrant training and after care for those dealing with the loss of friends and family members, died on January 27, 2025. He was 92.
Doug wrote 51 books and produced more than two dozen audiotapes and videos, all dealing with various aspects of death and grief. Through Doug’s publishing company, InSight Books, he provided countless resources for funeral directors seeking to serve their families in better and more innovative ways.
An Oklahoma native, Doug began his preparation for the ministry at Oklahoma Baptist College before graduating from Southwestern State College in Weatherford, OK, and becoming the pastor at the First Baptist Church there.
Doug served several other churches and religious organizations and became interested in grief and after care when he discovered there were few resources available. He wrote his first book, A Minister Speaks About Funerals, in 1978.
It was after his second book, Don’t Take My Grief Away from Me in 1979, that his career as a writer and advocate for grief care began to blossom. Creating InSight Books, which he ran with his wife, Barbara, Doug began to churn out work that heavily influenced the funeral industry internationally.
Speaking to audiences throughout the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand, Doug preached a message that care for the bereaved went beyond arranging for burial or cremation.
“He encouraged death care professionals to understand the grief journey and gave them support and inspiration for becoming a healing presence for their families,” his obituary said.
In 1996, Doug took a step back from InSight, leaving the day-to-day operations of the business to his four daughters. But he did not retire, instead founding InSight Institute Funeral Celebrant training with his daughter, Glenda Stansbury, MA, CFSP.
“Based upon Doug’s foundational belief that funerals should be unique and personalized in order to be healing, together they traveled North America, establishing a new way to consider what funerals could be and, to date, over 5000 people have completed that training,” his obituary read.
Among those 5,000 were scores of celebrants in New Jersey, where both Glenda and Doug gave numerous seminars training people to give decedents “the tribute they deserve.”
Glenda also served on the board of Thanexus.
Both InSight Books and Celebrant Training were purchased by Osiris Software in 2023, but Doug and his four daughters stayed active with the companies.
It was his personal interactions that many remember about Doug, a person described as both a listener and deliverer of needed wisdom. He could, his obituary said, “make you think while you were laughing.”
Doug was predeceased by his wife, Barbara. He is survived by four daughters, Glenda Stansbury, Kathy Burns, Cindy Perez and Sandra Sherry; seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Those wishing to honor Doug’s life may make a donation to Outrageous Love, Inc. The donation may also be mailed to:
Outrageous Love (founder of Joe's Addiction Community of Hope)
PO Box 94811
Oklahoma City, OK 73143