Joseph Manteca

Joseph (Joe) Edmund Manteca

Woodland, Utah

Joseph Manteca, beloved husband, father, uncle, grandfather, great grandfather and friend, passed away peacefully at his home in Woodland, Utah, surrounded by his loving family, on May 31, 2022.  Joe was born September 2, 1938 in Park City, Utah, to Joseph A. and Mary A. Garbett Manteca. The youngest of 3 children, Joe grew up in Park City, attending Marsac Elementary and the old Park City High School where he was active in football, basketball, band, drama and opera. Though he was very physically active and in amazing physical condition, his real passion and talent came in music and singing. Joe was blessed with a beautiful Tenor/Baritone voice. Joe’s singing fame began at 3 years of age when his dad would stand him at the end of the bar, where he would sing his list of Gene Autry songs at the Silver Palace Saloon, now Red Banjo Pizza on Main Street in old town Park City. The original bar is still in place at the Red Banjo. Joe sang at countless funerals, weddings, church services and television programs. Despite all of his talent and many professional singing opportunities, he turned them all down as he felt, that lifestyle would interfere with his family life.

September 6, 1958, Joe married his high school sweetheart, Deaun L. Ryan. They were married 64 years, this year. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Salt Lake LDS temple. Joe and Deaun were blessed to have 3 Children. Joe was a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and loved serving in the Church, holding many auxiliary and administrative positions.

Joe worked hard to provide for his family, working for the Bonneville News Company and Whitmore Oxygen Company.  Joe performed many functions at Whitmore Oxygen over the years moving to Pocatello, Idaho in 1976 to be a branch manager for Whitmore’s there until 1985, when he returned to the home office in Salt Lake. Whitmore’s was sold to Praxair where he retired in the year 2000.  Later retirement got the best of him and he took a part-time job at the Kamas, Utah Food Town. Joe loved his job and co-workers at Food Town. He loved interacting with the customers, especially the locals. He loved giving suckers to the kids that would come in the store and became known as the “sucker man”.  In 2020, Joe left his job at Food Town under great protest. Joe was battling kidney failure and cancer.

Joe was preceded in death by his parents, sisters, Marie Manteca and Gloria Unamuno, and his youngest daughter Malena M. Torres.  He is survived by his beloved wife Deaun L. Manteca, his children Debra J. (Tracy) Breinholt, and Russ (Roxanne) Manteca, (7) grandchildren and (27) great grandchildren, a niece Andrea M. (Bill) Pierce, nephew Andrew Mark Unamuno.

Joe’s family was everything to him and everything he did, he did with his family in mind. He loved camping and fishing with his family, kids and grandkids. He loved and spoke often of each of them. If you were his friend, you were his friend for life! He loved all of his many lifelong friends from Park City, Kamas, Woodland, Heber, Salt Lake, and Pocatello. Joe loved recalling the memories and telling stories of his many adventures with his friends.

The family extend a special thanks and their profound gratitude to the wonderful nurses, chaplain and staff at Intermountain Homecare and Hospice for their tender compassionate care, and to all of the physicians who helped him along the way.

Funeral services will be held at the Woodland, Utah LDS Chapel under direction of Crandall Mortuary. The family will receive visitors at a viewing Friday, June 3, 2022 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. and Saturday June 4, 2022 from 9:30-10:45 a.m. with the funeral at 11:00 a.m. Interment will follow at the Park City Cemetery.