McManus was born on December 12, 1930 on the
Old Mission Peninsula, just north of
Traverse City. The salutatorian of
St. Francis High School in Traverse City in 1948, McManus went on to receive both a bachelor's and a master's degree from
Michigan State University. He later served as the extension director for the institution in
Grand Traverse County for 25 years. McManus was also a fourth-generation
cherry farmer. McManus was a trustee of
Northwestern Michigan College for 20 years, and a director of the college's foundation. He also served on the Grand Traverse Area Catholic Board of Education. During his time in the Senate, McManus sponsored the Michigan Groundwater and Freshwater Protection Act and played a key role in protecting family farms from property tax increases. McManus received an honorary doctorate of agriculture from
Michigan State University in May 2003. McManus died in
Traverse City, Michigan on June 21, 2024, at the age of 93. ==References==