Arnold, CA…Matthew Richard Manuel passed away Mar. 2, 2019 in San Andreas. He was born Mar. 28, 1943 in Stockton, CA. to John and Esther Manuel. The first few years of his life he lived with his parents and older brother at the Manuel Mill (which his grandfather owned) in White Pines, CA. Before starting school they moved to San Leandro, CA where Matt grew up and stayed through high school. He married young and had one son.
Matt’s favorite memories of his childhood were the times he spent with his father, especially deer hunting. He has had many interests in his life. When he was young he raised pigeons. He learned to play tennis which he continued into adulthood. As a teenager he loved working on his race car so he could race on the weekends.
Matt worked for AT&T for 30 years. While there he also played recreational football and baseball. He golfed and participated in many AT&T tournaments. He was a union representative and then became a supervisor. Matt loved duck hunting, deer hunting, fishing and has many wonderful memories of sharing those activities with his friends.
After he retired from AT&T he was divorced and moved to Fremont, CA. He decided to go back to work. He drove bus for SunMicro Systems, was a Park Ranger for the City of Fremont and drove school bus for Fremont Unified where he met his future wife, Vivian. They decided in 2002 to move to Arnold, CA close to the Manuel Mill site. He loved Arnold and the simple easy going life he and Vivian created.. What he enjoyed the most was cutting firewood. During wood season, he would go with Vivian and cut a truck load of wood every Sunday morning. He enjoyed giving firewood to those who needed it for winter. Matt was also a die hard GreenBay Packer fan. He was also a great cook, just like his father.
In 2010 Matt had a severe stroke which made it impossible for him to do the activities that he enjoyed. But what he loved most was being home with Vivian and his cat, Chuck. Unfortunately, the last 3 1/2 months of his life he was either in a hospital or at Avalon Convalescent Care.
Matt is survived by his wife, Vivian, his son, Rich, grandson, James, and great-grandson, Connor, Vivian’s 7 children, 18 grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother John, and his niece, Cathy, nephews, John, Kevin, Mike and Matt along with their families. There are other nieces and nephews and many extended family members in the Arnold area.
A Memorial Service will be held at the Angels Memorial Chapel, 1071 S. Main, Angels Camp, CA. at 11:00 A.M., on Saturday, Mar. 23, 2019. Interment will be private at Buena Vista Cemetery, Murphys, CA.
I’m going to miss Matt. He and Vivian made our neighborhood very special. He was a link to the history of the mill.