William Henry Manthe

William H. Manthe, Sr., of Youngstown, Ohio, passed away on March 9, 2026, at the age of 82.

Born in Truman, Minnesota, to Wilferd and Mavis (Lovell) Manthe, Bill was the eldest of four children. After graduating high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, serving as a teletype operator with the 1936 COMM SQD HQ at McGuire AFB in New Jersey until his honorable discharge in 1965. He then began a long career in logistics with General Motors, first in Bellingham, Massachusetts, before relocating with his family to Youngstown in 1966 with the opening of the Lordstown Plant. He retired from GM in 2000 after 35 years of dedicated service.

Bill raised three sons with his first wife, Dori: Bill, Jr. (Jacki), Jim, and Scott. After an amicable separation, he met and married Anne, and together they raised four daughters: Julie (Ralph) Weiss, Abbie (BJ) Rebosky, Jill (JJ) Pondillo, and Janet (Cody Black) Estok. Though Youngstown became his home, Minnesota remained close to his heart. He was an avid fan of the Minnesota Vikings, Notre Dame football, NASCAR, and nearly any sporting event. He loved golf and games of chance. In retirement, he found great companionship as a member of his local VFW, especially in the years following Anne’s sudden passing in 2018.

Bill lived a steady, independent life guided by simple routines and favorite sayings. He will be deeply missed by his seven children, eleven grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, his sister Joanne (Vern) Quade, brother Jim (Kathy) Gronewald, and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife Anne, his brother Ron (Donna) Manthe, and his parents.