William H. Manthe 1943-2026

Bill was born in Truman, Minnesota, to Wilferd and Mavis Lovell Manthe and was the eldest of four children. Upon graduating high school, Bill enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and served as a teletype operator in the 1936 COMM SQD HQ at McGuire AFB (now Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst) in New Jersey. He was honorably discharged from the U.S. Air Force in 1965.

He relocated to Bellingham, Massachusetts, where he began his career in logistics with General Motors Corp. Upon the opening of the GM Lordstown Plant in 1966, Bill, along with his family, moved to Youngstown, where he would remain even after his retirement in 2000 after 35 years of service.

Bill would live to raise three sons, Bill Jr. (Jacki) Manthe, Jim Manthe and Scott Manthe, with his first wife, Dori. After an amicable split, he would meet Anne and do it all over again in a house full of four girls. His daughters include Julie (Ralph) Weiss, Abbie (BJ) Rebosky, Jill (JJ) Pondillo and Janet (Cody Black) Estok.

Youngstown was Bill’s home, but Minnesota was always in his heart. He enjoyed watching the Minnesota Vikings, Notre Dame football, NASCAR and just about any sporting event. He loved the game of golf and chance. After retiring from General Motors, he became a member of his local VFW, where he built lasting friendships, enriching the last years of his life, especially after the sudden passing of his Anne in 2018.

Bill lived the kind of life he loved. He was a man full of simple sayings! He followed a routine every day of his life and maintained his independence to the very end. He will be greatly missed by his family, friends and all those who had the chance to know him.

He leaves behind his seven children; 11 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; his sister, Joanne (Vern) Quade; brother, Jim (Kathy) Gronewald; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Anne; brother, Ron (Donna) Manthe; and his parents.

Calling hours will be 11 a.m. to noon Friday, March 20, 2026, at Vaschak-Kirila Funeral Home.

Vaschak-Kirila handled all of the arrangements for the family.

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