Donald J. Mantel 90 a resident of Colonial Home died Feb. 14, 2013.
He is survived by his wife, Jane Mantel, two sons; David Mantel, his wife Carol, and Scott Mantel, his wife Terry, all of VA Bch, one daughter Debra Corgnell, and her husband Trapper of Richmond, a sister, Ann Mulholland, her husband Jack of Syracuse, NY, 7 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren.
Donald was born in Syracuse, NY. He fought in WWII from 1942 –1945, was a volunteer firefighter for over 50 yrs, and was a welder for Allied Chemical for 43 years before retiring in 1984. After his retirement, he moved to VA Bch to be closer to his children.
In 1942, Donald met the love of his life, Jane Luckurst. She waited for him for three years while he was at war. They married in 1945 and had 68 wonderful years together. Their love for each other was an inspiration for their family and friends.
In addition to being a great husband and father, Donald was a great friend to many, going, out of his way to help others in any way possible. He had a wonderful sense of humor and laughed his way through life, during the good times and bad. His work ethic was incredible and his favorite expression was “When a Mantel works, everybody works.” Doing a project was therapeutic for him and a wonderful bonding experience for everyone involved. He will be truly missed, but his kind and honest approach to life will live on.
The family would like to thank the staff of Colonial Home and specifically, Yulanda Carmack for their great care and concern during Donald’s long battle with the soul stealing disease, Alzheimer’s. The disease took him from us long before his death, but the staff at Colonial Home made him comfortable and maintained his dignity. We will forever be grateful to them for their care.
A memorial service will be held at Nimmo United Methodist Church on Feb. 18th@ 2:00 pm. The family will accept visitors at the home of Dave Mantel, 212 Chancellor Drive, VA Bch, 23452 on Feb. 17th from 2:00 – 4:00pm. Memorial donations may be made in his memory to your local Fire Dept, the Alzheimer’s Assoc., or the charity of your choice. Cremation Society of Virginia is assisting the family. Online condolences may be expressed at www.cremate.org.