Anita Louise Manis' Obituary
Anita Louise Harvey Manis, a longtime resident of Tucson, Arizona, passed away on August 29, 2020, at the age of 70. She was born in Siloam Springs, Arkansas to parents Alva Dale and Caroline George Harvey. Anita graduated from Liberty High School in Liberty, Missouri in 1968. She was excited to return to college later in life and received her associate degree from Pima Community College at the age of 50.
Anita cherished the faith heritage that she received from her parents. Her faith in Jesus Christ as her savior drove a desire to serve in her church and the lives of those around her. Anita loved being with other people, whether it be for volunteering, working puzzles, or craft days. She took pride in her work endeavors and enjoyed the friendships that she built in every area of her life.
One of Anita’s passions was helping new moms to have a healthy, natural birth. She was proud to be a Bradley childbirth instructor and through her work, over multiple decades, acted as a surrogate grandmother to so many babies beyond her own blood-born grandchildren.
Anita was preceded in death by her beloved parents and her older sister Carol Ann Harvey Leathers. She is survived by her children: Stephanie (Brad) Austin, Rebekah (Bob) Meredith, Amy (Robert) Gaff, Matthew (Carrie) Manis, Joshua (Dominique) Manis; grandchildren: Cait, Bobby (Elaine), Ryan, Zac, Dale, Ruby, Abigail, Drew, Reuben, Lucas, Tommie, Quinn, Kara, Zelda, baby on the way; great-grandchildren: Lydia, Mordecai; siblings: Laura (Dave) Elliott, George Harvey; Sue (Kerry) Kellermeyer, Alice (Garry) Crowley; and many other family members whom she loved dearly!
A service will be held on September 26, 2020 at 10 am at Desert Son Community Church: 5250 W Cortaro Farms Rd, Tucson, AZ 85742. There will also be a live stream of the service available for those who are unable to join us in person. Use this link to see the live stream “zoom” service:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81533054255?pwd=dlREYlpTYlB5dTVKdXU3UXFOa2dIQT09
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in memory of Anita Manis to Hands of Hope, Tucson. Anita’s passion for helping women to birth healthy babies led her to invest many years working with Hands of Hope, both as a volunteer and as an employee for a time.
To ensure the health and safety of our community, we are following all guidelines set by local, state and CDC officials.
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