Mary Manuel's Obituary
Manuel, Mary, 95, of Belleair, passed away on Monday, September 10, 2018. She was born on December 9, 1922 in Winchester, Virginia. Mary Elaine Greene was the youngest of 6 children born to Richard Gordon Greene and Mary Elizabeth Hillyard.
She graduated from John Handley High School where she was actively involved in sports, dance, chorus and the Apple Blossom Festival.
In 1942, while a lead singer for a big band orchestra, she met the love her life, Bob Manuel…the handsomest guy she ever saw. This love affair lasted until his death in 2006.
They were engaged the following year and after his return from the war and her graduation as a registered nurse from Winchester Memorial Hospital they married on February 23, 1946.
Later that year while visiting family in Winchester her uncle Judge Alfred P. Marshall invited the newlywed couple to visit him in Clearwater FL. Bob having been stationed at MacDill excitedly responded, “that’s the prettiest place I’ve ever seen”. They accepted his invitation in June 1946 and never left.
She started work at Morton Plant Hospital on July 12, 1946, she loved nursing and Morton Plant. However, in 1952, she began her lifelong relationship with Moss Funeral Homes. Bob had been with Mr. and Mrs. Moss since 1947 and they convinced Mary to come on board and she never looked back.
She was a member of Carlouel Yacht Club, Rotary Ann, Casado, Belleair Country Club, Clearwater Country Club, Clearwater Yacht Club and Peace Memorial Presbyterian Church. She was Past President of Clearwater High School and North Ward PTA’s, a board member of the YWCA, Clearwater Cotillion Sponsor for 13 years and on the Clearwater’s Best Dressed List in the 60’s.
She will be remembered as always happy and positive, an avid golfer with a great short game, a fabulous southern cook, one with a great sense of humor who loved a good funny story, but mostly as a wonderful warm and caring friend who was always there when you needed her and the very best mother, grandmother and great grandmother. Family and friends always came first. She will be missed so very much.
She was predeceased by her parents, brother John Greene and her husband Bob.
Mary is survived by her children, Connie McMullen, Jay (Rusty) Manuel, Kathy Manuel and Barbara (Cricket) Manuel. 5 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be held from 2 -4 PM on Sunday, September 16 at Moss Feaster Funeral Home, 693 S. Belcher Road, Clearwater. Interment will be private.
The family requests contributions to the Skip Cline Society in care of Morton Plant Mease Healthcare Foundation.
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