Kristina Aniela Mann

November 27, 1984 - November 14, 2020

Kristina Aniela Mann, 35, passed away on November 14th, 2020, at home and surrounded by her loving family, following a brief but courageous battle with cancer. Born on November 27th, 1984, in Glens Falls, N.Y. she was the first daughter of Philip C. Mann, Jr. and Jo Anne Dietrich. Kristina had a lifelong condition known as Neurofibromatosis Type 1, but never let that stand in the way of her full and colorful life. At an early age, she combined her innate sense of balance and athleticism with her love of animals to become an accomplished horseback rider. She won many blue ribbons over the years, but none were displayed so proudly as those she earned atop her own beloved horse, Misty. Their similar personalities, each a mix of stubborn and sweet, made them the best of friends. In addition to horseback riding, Kristina had many passions in life. Though physical limitations prevented her from being a full-time dancer herself, she proudly supported her friends and siblings each year at the South High Marathon Dance, and happily returned annually for her alumni tee shirts after graduating with the class of 2004. She was a generous volunteer, committing time to Meals on Wheels with her day program, taking care of animals at local shelters, and assisting in equine therapy for children with physical and cognitive disabilities alongside Misty. Kristinas also loved to learn new things, such as foreign languages, food recipes, and different painting techniques. Although several pieces she created during her art class were selected for display in the buildings of downtown Albany, and a dragon model she crafted was sent for display in China, her pride and joy was a painted “family portrait” that displayed the dogs, cats, birds, and horse she owned, but not one single human being. Some of the memories she held most dearly included annual rodeo dates and a road trip to Dollywood with her sister, four-wheeling at her family’s camp in Vermont, attending the Night to Shine Prom, and multiple unforgettable trips to Disney World. Kristina’s sense of humor, childlike wonder, and unconditional caring for others made her easily loved, and will be deeply missed. In addition to her parents, those left to cherish Kristina’s memory include her sisters Samantha, Katelyn and Madeline Mann, her brothers Zachary and Gabriel Mann, her maternal grandfather, Henry C. Hryckiewicz, her paternal grandmother, Hildegarde Mann, her honorary sister Amanda Ricketts, honorary brother Charlie Green, honorary grandmother Debbe Dorvee, her step-father Gary Dietrich, and many aunts, uncles, cousins, friends and pets whom she adored. The family would like to thank the nursing staff at the Albany Medical Center Intensive Care Unit, and Dr. Joanne Porter for her endless compassion and empathy. They would also like to recognize Jennifer Branco, Brenda Stark, Gabby DeSaint, and Alison VanDyke for tirelessly advocating for, and loving Kristina. A celebration of Kristina’s life will be planned for outdoors in the late spring, when the sun is shining for her. All family and friends, two- and four-legged, will be most welcome. In lieu of flowers, the family would be honored to see donations made in Kristina’s name to the Children’s Tumor Foundation, or to the South High Marathon Dance