Patricia Joan Mantei's Obituary
Patricia Joan (Marcoe) Mantei, age 82, passed away peacefully with her family by her side on May 12, 2021, having lived an extraordinary life. Patricia was born February 25, 1939 in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, to the late Reuben and Mildred (Miller) Marcoe. She attended Barat College in Lake Forest, Illinois and earned her B.A. Degree and Teaching Credential from Northern Michigan University. Following her teaching position in Chicago, she and her fiance, U.S. Navy Officer, Tom Mantei, were married at the Navy Chapel in Long Beach, California. Patricia was a dedicated Navy wife and mother of seven children and two foster children. Patricia traveled extensively throughout the United States and Asia with her husband and children during their 20 years of service to this country. She lived for many years on and near military bases in Hawaii, California's Bay Area and in Monterey, and later moved to her final home in the Goldrush area of the High Sierra where she started her own home design business. Patricia was dedicated to serving her family, community and her church. She had a passion for women's programs and ministries, and served as a leader for women's Bible study groups in her local church.
Patricia was well known around town for her kindness, sense of humor, practicality, love of cooking, and her commitment to family and friends. Her seven children still refer to her lovingly as "Supermom". She was always willing to take on a challenge, even directing the school Christmas Pageant (with real livestock). She was quick to welcome the dozens of visitors (and pets) her children brought home over the years for a hot meal after a day in the snow. Her motto was "the more the merrier", and hospitality and encouragement were some of her strongest attributes. Each of her grandchildren will remember assisting her in baking bread, cookies, pies, and cinnamon rolls. The image of her will remain in their hearts forever, busy in her charming log cabin in the woods, where everyone who stopped by before a hike or day of adventure would not depart without a full breakfast.
She will be dearly missed by her children and their spouses, and was loved by her 20 grandchildren and great-grandchildren throughout Calif. and Penn. Pat planted seeds of love and faith in her children: Tom Mantei Jr. (Laura), Deputy Sheriff (Ret.) and B.A. Degree, Criminal Justice, Sacramento State University; Kevin Mantei, Calaveras County Health and Human Services and B.A. Degree in Graphic Communications from UCLA; Steven Mantei (Denise), U.S. Army Combat Medic and California Highway Patrol Officer (Ret.); Alicia (Mantei) Clarke (Kurt), B.A. Degree in Communications from Biola University and graduate certification in Psychology; Karen (Mantei) Essa (Ed), Assistant Director of Foundations, Pepperdine University and B.A. in Social Ecology from UC Irvine; Charlie Mantei (Miranda), Northern California Power Authority and educated in Fine Woodworking and Precision Machining at College of the Redwoods, Fort Bragg & Eureka, Calif.; and Dominic Mantei (Jennifer), Winemaker at Grovedale Winery, Penn., and B.S.Degree in Viticulture and Enology from California State University, Fresno.
Patricia was preceded in death by her sister, Mary Ann Marcoe, her parents (above), her maternal grandparents, Michael and Mary Miller, her fraternal grandparents, Noah and Georgiana Marcoe, and her brother, Michael James Marcoe.
Patricia is survived by her husband: Lieutenant Commander (Ret.) Thomas Mantei, Naval Flight Officer, M.S. Degree in Meteorology and Oceanography from Naval Post Graduate School of Monterey, Calif.; and one sister, Carol (Richard) Anheier of Appleton, Wisc.
A Memorial Service will be held Thurs., June 17, at 1:30pm at Sacramento Valley National Cemetery, 5810 Midway Rd., Dixon, Calif.
Patricia's Celebration of Life will take place Sat., June 19, at 10 a.m.,at Chapel in the Pines, Arnold, Calif. A livestream link for 6/19 can be found at www.chapelinthepines.org. A condensed recording of the event will be made available later in June on the same website.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Patricia's memory to support the Women's Ministry at Chapel in the Pines and for Calaveras Pregnancy Center - A Door of Hope.
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