6:00 PM -- Bruce Manning, a PR guy who was a fixture at tradeshows like OFC/NFOEC and ECOC, passed away Wednesday at age 55.

An obituary says he died of a sudden and unexpected heart attack. His Facebook page has become a tribute of sorts as word circulates among groups of friends, former co-workers, and former classmates.

Manning was a big-hearted guy who'd lived a long and colorful career path that included radio, TV news, and just a little bit of TV and film acting (full bio here). He had a trove of great stories about the old days -- like the time, as a radio announcer, when he got the scoop on Frank Sinatra's death.

He was also a big supporter of Light Reading when it first started out, and he was instrumental in helping the publication land one of its more amusing scoops back in the early days. (I feel as if I shouldn't say which one, even though Manning himself has told pretty much everyone in the industry.)

Yes, it's unusual for Light Reading to memorialize a PR exec. But if you knew Bruce, you'd understand. He's one of the most friendly and open people I've ever met, and he'll be missed. If you're at ECOC or Supercomm this fall, raise a glass to him.

— Craig Matsumoto, West Coast Editor, Light Reading