McManus, Paul J. a judge, longtime law school teacher and public defender who brought compassion and a deep commitment to justice to the court room, died on May 6, 2018, at age 59, at his home in Wellesley, MA after a lengthy illness.
McManus, born in Worcester, MA was among the last judges appointed by Governor Deval Patrick and began serving on the district court in Massachusetts in 2015. During his interview for the appointment with the Governor, McManus said he wanted everyone who entered his court room to be treated with dignity and that he wanted to bring redemption and mercy to an often unfair justice system.
He was sworn in on Governor Patrick’s last day in office.
A questioner of the status quo from an early age, McManus developed an affinity for the Green Bay Packers when his brothers became fans of the Dallas Cowboys in the late 1960s. Throughout his life, while living deep inside Patriots' nation he remained unwavering in his loyalty to the Packers, and traveled to Green Bay on a football pilgrimage where he proudly wore a cheesehead hat to show his support.
He grew up as one of six children with a powerful sense of social justice. After graduating from the College of the Holy Cross in 1981 he moved to Houston where he taught low income students as part of the Jesuit Volunteer Corp. He then studied law at Catholic University in Washington D.C., and upon graduation joined the public defenders office in Massachusetts where he served for 25 years in the Worcester, Framingham and Boston offices.
McManus had a knack for befriending people from all walks of life, in any situation, whether it was waiting in line at an ice cream stand on Cape Cod, hiking on trails in New England, or at Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education seminars, where he frequently presented.
McManus was a “Commissioner” of the Wellesley Little League baseball while his sons, Bobby and Jack, played ball. He was intensely proud of the professional and personal accomplishments of his wife, Elizabeth Ryan, an attorney at Bailey & Glasser in Boston.
McManus spent many active summers with his extended families, the Ryans and Shields, on Cape Cod, debating politics and sports, swimming, cycling, parasailing and visiting Captain Frosty’s for seafood.
He was an avid hiker and camper, hiking sections of the Appalachian Trail with his two brothers. McManus hiked to the top of Mt. Monadnock on January 1 each year with two high school friends. He ran the Boston Marathon in 2001.
Beloved and respected by his colleagues at the Committee for Public Counsel Service, McManus also taught the Mock Trial Program at Boston College Law School for nearly two decades.
He was the son of the late Charles and Martha (Driscoll) McManus of Worcester. He was predeceased by two brothers, Charles and Stephen.
In addition to his wife Elizabeth and sons Bobby of Boston and Jack of New York City, he leaves his sister Mary Bagley and her husband William of Worcester, two brothers, Richard of Potomac, MD and his wife Natalie, and James of Southborough and his wife Louise, and a sister in law, Elizabeth Deal of Lake Kiowa, TX. He also leaves extended family members Bill and Lisa Ryan of River Forest, IL, Mary Ryan of Prince Frederick, MD, Chris Ryan of Billerica, Carolyn Ryan of New York City, Bob and Leigh Ann Ryan of Greenwich, CT, and his dear nieces and nephews Sarah, Steve and Billy, Claire, Daniel, Erin and Drew, Maija, James and Laila, Stephen and James, Ann, Henry and Billy, Carolyn and Gus, Lucy, Robert, Maggie and John William, a grandniece Lucy Feldman and grandnephew Teddy Feldman, cousins and his beloved dog Max, an undocumented Canadian bichon, who arrived in the country 10 years ago.
Funeral from the George F. Doherty & Sons Funeral Home, 477 Washington St. (Rt.16) Wellesley, on Saturday May 12 at 9am followed by a Funeral Mass in St. Paul Church, Wellesley at 10am. Relatives and friends kindly invited. Visiting hours on Friday, May 11, from 4-8pm. Interment Private. In lieu of flowers expressions of sympathy may be made in Paul’s memory to Pine Street Inn, 444 Harrison Ave. Boston, MA 02118.