Emanuel Alphonso Heyliger, II of Greensboro, NC, passed away on July 1, 2022, after a tragic accident.

Emanuel, aka "Man Man," was born in Charleston, WV, on October 5, 1999. He moved to Greensboro at age five and was educated in the Guilford County Schools System, graduating from Southeast High School in 2018. He also attended Hargrave Military Academy and Guilford Technical Community College.

Emanuel loved sports, especially football and basketball. As a young boy he played quarterback for the Lewis Recreation Center, and played numerous other positions as an adolescent at Northern Middle and Northern High School, Greensboro, NC. He even discovered the love of baseball while attending the military academy. Although he spent most of his adolescence and young adult years in NC, his favorite college football team was the WV Mountaineers. He became a Minnesota Vikings fan when Randy Moss, from WV, was drafted to the NFL.

Emanuel had an enormous love for animals and young people. His siblings jokingly called him "Dr. Dolittle" because he was so good with animals. As a child, he would bring homeless and sick animals home and nurse them back to health. Younger children always gravitated towards him and his big, infectious smile. He had a way of nurturing and making them laugh.

His love for family was always evident and not always defined by blood. Emanuel was known as a protector and a big brother. The love of his life was his son, Emanuel Alphonso Heyliger, III, aka "Tre." He stated that the best day of his life was when he found out he was expecting a son. Emanuel aspired to be the best dad to his son and his biggest superhero, as they both liked Spiderman. He truly had a big heart. If he loved you, then he loved you.

Although he left this earth quite suddenly, his baptism at 16 assures us that Jesus has welcomed him home.

Emanuel was preceded in death by his great-grandparents, Rev. and Mrs. Carlton Heyliger and Ms. Zerrie Coates.

Emanuel leaves behind to cherish him the love of his life, a son, Emanuel Alphonso Heyliger, III (Indirah Pratt); mother, Adenike Heyliger-Dawkins (Curtis) of Greensboro, NC; father, William Anthony Gary III of Cross Lanes; siblings, Emani Heyliger, Esaias Heyliger, and Emayh Ward; bonus siblings Avonna Dawkins, Tristan Dawkins of North Carolina; his grandparents, Bishop Emanuel Heyliger (Tonya) of Scott Depot and Cicely Heyliger of Houston, TX, his special grandmother "BoBo" Robin Beatty of Cross Lanes; along with a host of sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.

A Life Celebration service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July16, at Ferguson Memorial Baptist Church, 124 Marshall Ave. Dunbar, WV 25064. Burial will follow in Grandview Memorial Park, Dunbar.

Friends may visit one hour prior to the service at the church.

Arrangements are in the care of Keller Funeral Home, Dunbar.