Obituary of Peggy L. Mann

Peggy Mann, the longtime SUNY Albany tennis coach who coached U.S. national tennis teams and also served as a tennis umpire at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open,died Tuesday at her home of pancreatic cancer. She was 94 years old. Peggy's long and varied accomplishments in women's tennis included an eleven-year stint at the coach of America's national Marble Cup team for women over 60. With her as coach between 1988 and 1998, travelling to tournaments around the world, the United States won the international competition in ten out of the eleven years. She also coached the Maria Bueno Cup for women over 50 for two years. She served as both a lineswomen and then an umpire in international tennis tournaments, especially the US Open and also Wimbledon. She was in the umpire's chair at Wimbledon for Billie Jean (Moffitt) King and at the US Open for Chris Evert. Overall, she built up sixty years of service to the US Tennis Association. Peggy grew up on Woodmere, Long Island. After graduating from William and Mary College and getting a master's degree from Columbia Teachers College, she settled in Albany with her husband Dr. Jay Mann, a local physician. Until age 42, she worked as a housewife, raising her three boys Jim,Ronald (now deceased) and Andy. After her husband's death, she went back to work to support her family. Starting as a substitute physical education teacher at Hackett Jr. High School, she rose to become both associate professor of physical education at the new SUNY Albany and the university's tennis coach, serving in both capacities from 1963 to 1982. She worked to improve the ground strokes and serves of an entire generation of SUNY Albany women. On the side, she was also a Silver Life Master at Bridge and a board member of Planned Parenthood, of Equinox, and of the SUNY Albany Friends of the Library. Peggy had five grandchildren, whom she liked to take on her own to trips overseas. They included Jim's children Elizabeth Mann and Ted Mann and Andy's children Jeffrey, Rebecca and Melissa Mann. She also had five great-grandchildren. She also kept in close touch with her extended family of Karen Paxton, formerly wife of the deceased Ron Mann, and Karen's husband Graham Paxton and their children Rachel and Michael. There will be a memorial celebration of Peggy's life at The Beverwyck, 40 Autumn Drive, Slingerlands, at 2:30 pm. Sunday. In lieu of flowers, she wished that donations be sent to either of two organizations: Planned Parenthood or Equinox.