Maerlene Mae Manning

August 18, 2021

Maerlene (Mae) Manning peacefully drew her final breath with family and caregivers at her bedside the evening of Wednesday, August 18, 2021. The beloved Maerlene Guerrieri Manning, 89, born in Pomona, New Jersey, March 1932 was an exceptional daughter to the late Anthony and Helen (Spoteno/Spotter) Guerrieri. Later in life, Mae was a remarkable caregiver for both of her parents during long episodes of chronic healthcare illnesses. Marlene's ancestry includes her matriarchal great grandparents the late Enos James Kelly(first generation -Jamaica British, West Indies) and Helen Arabella (Brent). Mae’s matriarch grandparents were Ivy (Kelly) and Benjamin (Spoteno) Spotter. Her patriarchal grandparents were Enrico and Filomena Guerrieri (first-generation, Abruzzi, Italy) who settled in Pomona, established a working farm, and raised nine children. Nearly a century later the farm passed from family to commercial ownership eventually becoming the Blue Heron Golf Association. Mae was a devoted wife to the late Melvin G. Manning for 67 years. Mae was the proud mother of Lynette, a mother of three, graphic designer, and talented member of the Bucks County, Musical Troop. Sadly, Lynnette became a victim of cancer and predeceased her mother at the early age of 38; Michael G. Manning the father of 5 children whose career included serving with the Army Green Berets, an Assistant Professor of Military Science at Lasalle University, a Regional Healthcare Administrator, Inventor and Business Owner; an Anthony M. Manning, the father of 5, Navy Petty Officer, IT Administrator, and musician. Mae strongly encouraged her children to be independent and pursue higher education, athletics, and musical ambitions. She was employed most of her adult life in the healthcare and insurance industry to afford private schooling and other activities for each of her children. Growing up in South Egg Harbor New Jersey, Maerlene was a gifted musician and disciplined student. She graduated at the top of her class from Egg Harbor New Jersey in 1949. She enjoyed the company of her inseparable best friend Eileen (Kohnow) Waters. They grew up swimming, ice skating, roller skating, and dancing. By her 16th birthday, Mae blossomed into a talented, popular musician and jazz enthusiast. She grew up to be glamorous, fashionable, and outgoing. She attracted audiences who flocked to hear her sing and play the accordion, piano, and organ at scheduled gatherings on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, nightclubs, and other venues. Upon graduating she met Melvin Manning a Naval Air Mechanic assigned to the USS New Jersey who drove a Hotrod Ford and worshiped the ground Mae walked on. They married in 1949 at St. Nicholas Church. Shortly after, they moved to Mel's west coast hometown San Bernadino, California where they had their first child, Lynette in 1950. In 1953 Mel began his 41-year career working for and retiring in 1995 from United Air Lines as a Jet Engine Maintenance Engineer which required the family to move back east. In 1954 Michael was born at St. Agnes Hospital South Broad Street, Philadelphia. By 1959 Mae and Mel moved their family to Far Northeast Philadelphia where they remained for 17 years. In 1961 Mae gave birth to Anthony Mario. Between 1977 and 2000 Mae and Mel enjoyed moving and living in the beautiful surroundings of Medford Lakes, New Jersey, Foster City, California, and Mae's roots, South Egg Harbor, New Jersey until Melvin's passing in 2016. Mae was an authentic Matriarch. She adored her family that blossomed into 13 grandchildren: Michael Mario, Doug, Krisann, Colleen, Cody, Helen Marie, Anne Marie, Katharine Marie, Greg, Sarah, Cathryn, Rachel, and Rebeka; and 15 great-grandchildren: Michael, Vincent, Gianna, Mitchell, Scarlett, Samuel, Andrew, Kasey, Nicholas, Dominic, Ryan, Taylor, Daniel Jr., Hawthorne, and Whitman. Her home was their home. She devoted her time and contributed her savings without hesitation no matter the circumstances. She was a pillar who hesitantly advocated, nurtured, guided, and consoled her family when they needed it most. Mae especially enjoyed celebrating the holidays surrounded by her entire family, backyard barbecues, winter vacations, swimming in her built-in pool, playing pinochle, polish poker, rummy, scrabble, doing the NY Times crossword, watching sports events, and putting jigsaw puzzles together. Mae's family included countless relatives; aunts, uncles nieces, nephews, and cousins: Her seven aunts were: Ida (Guerrieri), Barbetto, Josephine (Guerrieri) Sartorio, Palma (Guerrieri) Kopf, Esther (Guerrieri) Leonard, Laura (Guerrieri) Barbetto, Jenny (Guerrieri) DiClaudio, (Guerrieri); one uncle Woodrow Guerrieri. Cousins: Francis Barbetto, Anthony Leonard, Bonnie (Leonard) Aiello, Enrico Guerrieri, Lorraine (Guerrieri) Luciano, Linda (Sartorio) Landicini, Lorraine (Guerrieri) Haines, George Guerrieri, Anita DiFino Anthony DiFino, Elda Lobascio, and Vince Lobascio, Donna (Fellenstien) Sells, Joseph Spotter, Marie Elena Spotter. Nieces and nephews; Richard Calvert, Jimmy Calvert, Lorna (Wirtzberger) Moore, Lura (Wirtzberger) Grdnich, Darlene (Manning) Cancino, Paula (Manning) Budd, Barbara (Haines) Evancheck, Donny Haines, Glenn Haines. By mid-age, Maerlene’s reputation included being fun to be with, artistically talented, popular musician, progressive thinker, social advocate, and champion for the underprivileged. She was a witty, dignified conversationalist; and one of the most courageous, generous, and compassionate advocates for social equality to know. By the early 1970s, her spiritual life bloomed, she became an active member of the Catholic Charismatic Community. Her home became a central location for prayer meetings and catholic mass gatherings. She sheltered the homeless and fed the hungry. Spiritually, Mae adored the Blessed Mother Mary and Praised the Lord Jesus Christ. She pro-actively uplifted people from their despair and led them to the path of salvation in the Kingdom of God. Mae’s top priority was serving God and the Holy Trinity. She displayed her devotion in prayer and music. She donated countless hours to direct the musical talents for choir members at several different parishes, Christ the King Church, Northeast Philadelphia, St. Mary of the Lakes Roman Catholic Church, Medford, NJ, St. Gregory Roman Catholic Church, San Mateo, California, St. Nicholas, South Egg Harbor, and Church of St. Katharine Drexel, Egg Harbor Township, NJ. She made her home a safe haven for runaways and clergy to occasionally relax and enjoy her special spaghetti in clam sauce recipe while enjoying Sunday football games with all the other neighborhood guests. She was an active member of the CYO, Atlantic City Kiwanis Mae loved her country and she was a patriotic advocate for Military Veterans' activities and events. Mae's final wishes for her twilight years were to remain at home where dignity and respect could be accommodated by her family. From 2016 to 2021 Mae lived with her son Michael and grand-daughter Helen Marie and was under the continuous nursing care of Martha Minniti, RN, and family friend Rosemary Keane, until she passed in her sleep from natural causes. Her vibrant presence is sadly missed. A mass will be said in her memory at St. Nicholas Church in Egg Harbor City on Sunday, May 15, 2022, at 8:45 A.M., followed by a graveside service and internment of our parent's ashes at 10:00 A.M. at the Egg Harbor City Cemetery in the Manning/Guerrieri family plot. For condolences, in place of flowers please donate to the following charitable organizations; • Salesian Missions - https://salesianmissions.org/ • Father Flanagan's Boys Home - https://www.boystown.org/about/father-flanagan/Pages/default.aspx • Smile Train - https://www.smiletrain.org/