letter
If Gamon Manne hasn’t made
fun of you at some point, it’s only
because you haven’t met him yet.
All the rest of us know what it is
to be one of his victims. But with
that quick wit comes a heart of
gold, and our family is better for
knowing him.
We met Gamon and Angel
when Jake was working at New
Orleans Country Club. For those
of you who also know Jake,
can you imagine what poor JT
Crawford had to deal with every
day? Gamon and Angel were
a family of two back then, and
their home was fantastic – a
beautiful New Orleans structure
in the heart of Lakeview – on
Memphis.
That was about the year 2003.
We sat on their back porch
many a night on visits to the
city, talking about dreams and
what was to come. Both assistant
pros, Jake and Gamon were
winding their way through the
golf business. Angel was working
in fi nance, and I was in school at
Southern Miss.
Fast forward two years, and
Hurricane Katrina dealt this
little family its fi rst blow. Angel
was pregnant with their son
Alston, and they lost everything.
From beautiful artwork painted
by Gamon’s father to ball gowns
Angel wore in Babylon, it was all
gone. And New Orleans Country
Club would be closed for a
while as well. The future was so
uncertain.
But they still had each other.
And little Alston was on the way.
And little sister Guidry followed
close behind.
Just a short time later, another
amazing test of their strength
came when Angel was diagnosed
with cervical cancer. It was scary
for all of us, and I remember
Jake stumbling after the phone
call with Gamon – the one when
Gamon shared how scared he
was, how unfair it seemed, and
that he didn’t know what he was
going to do ...
And now it’s 2018. And his
family is now four. When I texted
Gamon to demand a picture
of him and his son Alston, an
accomplished junior golfer, Jake
quickly corrected my eff ort to
ensure Guidry (GG) and Angel
were included.
Of course. How could I not?
They’ve overcome a lot, and
they are still tough. They follow
Alston and GG to their activities,
work hard to provide a loving
home, and they never forget the
rest of their family and friends.
Jake hasn’t worked at New
Orleans Country Club since just
before Katrina, and Gamon and
Angel are still two of our dearest
friends. We could not be happier
that Gamon was selected as the
Gulf States Section Professional
of the Year. He deserves it for his
commitment to the golf industry,
and we’d like to think he deserves
it for much more than that as
well. Congratulations to you and
your family, Gamon Manne! We
love all four of you!
Gamon Manne and his family, Guidry, Angel and Alston.
Amber
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