Robert Howard Manahan passed away on Sunday, December 25th at his home on Vashon Island.

Most people knew him as Colin, the name he gave himself when he began playing Irish music 40 years ago, shortly after he came to live on Vashon. Colin was born in Portsmouth, Virginia on August 22nd, 1946. While he never lost the soft-spoken, gentle manners of his southern childhood, he found his true spiritual home in the mountains and forests of the Pacific Northwest. He hiked and backpacked in the Cascades and Olympics for many years. In the 1970’s he played Irish fiddle in the band No Comhaile, which toured in British Columbia , Washington and Oregon and participated in blossoming of Irish music in the Northwest. In later years the demands of gardening and living with Irish wolfhounds kept him close to home, where he walked the trails of his island forest.

Colin had a nurturing soul, and cared deeply for his friends and family, his dogs and every tree, every fern, every bird, squirrel and frog in his forest. He felt very strongly the responsibility of caring for his remnant old growth forest in Christensen Ravine, and protected it in perpetuity with a conservation easement. Colin truly loved and appreciated his friends, who stepped forward to help him in illness., including Tom Harrigan, Christal Gretch, Gigi Saunders, Mike Saunders and Mark Graham. He loved his sister, Betty Manahan of Summertown, Tennessee, his nephews, Joshua Pilzer, of Toronto, and Ethan Pilzer, of Nashville, and his companion on Vashon, Robin Hume. All will miss him, and mourn his absence. Please visit our online guest book at www.islandfuneral.com.

Paid Obituary.