One of the Rochester's best known retailers has died. Irving Mann, the chairman and founder of Mann's Jewelers, died Friday night at Rochester General Hospital. He was a few weeks shy of his 90th birthday.
His children, Nancy and Robert Mann, said that, " “We are deeply saddened by the loss of our father, who was not only an inspiration to us, but to his entire Mann’s Jewelers family. For over 60 years, his genuine kindness, character, generosity and integrity enhanced the Rochester community. He will be greatly missed.”
Irving Mann earned a purple heart in WWII, and after serving in the war he became a master watchmaker and went to work at his father's repair shop. Irving Mann and his wife Gertrude opened Mann's Jewelers on Clinton Avenue South, and in 1969 moved the store to its current location on Monroe Avenue in Brighton. In 2013, the Mann family opened a second location at Eastview Mall.
Mann served on the boards of RGH and the Jewish Senior Life Foundation and his family says he remained involved in both stores until his death. Funeral services are Monday, March 9 at 1:00 p.m. at Temple Beth El on Winton Road. Both Mann's Jewelers locations will be closed Monday in his memory.
