Manuel Branco

Manuel Branco, 78, of Dedham, Massachusetts, passed away on Tuesday, December 9, 2025.

Born on August 31, 1947, in Norwood, Manuel was a devoted son, a caring and loving brother, a loyal friend, a passionate lover of the arts, and an accomplished athlete. He was an excellent gymnast and served as captain of the Norwood High School gymnastics team in both his junior and senior years.

He attended the Massachusetts College of Art (MassArt), leaving one month before graduation in protest of the idea that artistic expression could be defined or certified by a diploma.

Manuel spent many years as a lab technician at Polaroid, where he developed key analytical processes that extended the capabilities of Polaroid film. He embraced photography as his primary means of understanding the world and later wrote about it in his book, PUSHBACK – Fear of Art.

Manuel is survived by his brothers John, Joseph, and Joaquim, and was preceded in death by his parents, Mary Susan and Joaquim Sr.

A private graveside service will be held on Friday, December 12, at 11:00 a.m. at Highland Cemetery in Norwood, Massachusetts.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to The Angel Fund for ALS Research (theangelfund.org), or simply that you remember Manuel in your own way.