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ELAINE LOTTERER MANVILLE
Elaine Lotterer Manville, 86, passed away at her home on Friday, Aug. 17, 2012, surrounded by her husband and two sons. She was born on April 28, 1926, to John Franklin Lotterer and Erma Wagner Lotterer in Fort Scott, Kan., and spent her formative years there.
Elaine majored in aviation at Stephens College in Columbia, Mo., where she was trained as a pilot to ferry bombers and also learned to fly stunt biplanes. Unable to get a job as a pilot when the war ended and the men came home, she became a stewardess for United Airlines, flying routes from Chicago to Los Angeles and Los Angeles to Tokyo, Japan.
In 1949, she met her future husband of 60 years, Richard (Dick) Wesley Manville, on the golf course in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., after "shanking" her ball onto his fairway. They were married in 1952 in Escondido, Calif., and when Dick retired from professional baseball they moved to Newton, Iowa, where sons Steve and Drew were born and they started a new life in the furniture business.
They moved to Ann Arbor, Mich., in 1960 and bought the Martin Haller Furniture Co. on East Liberty (next to the old Pretzel Bell Restaurant), where Elaine worked as an interior designer and accountant. Elaine and Dick were members of the Barton Hills Country Club where they made and kept many dear friends, and Elaine was involved with the Detroit District Golf Association where she played for many years.
Although travel and golf were her passion, she also participated in downhill skiing, tennis and was an accomplished duplicate bridge player. Her adventurous spirit brought her many wonderful travels with family and friends, throughout the United States and Canada, to their condo in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and to Europe and Asia. All who knew her soon found out she always spoke her mind, which remained sharp until her passing. She served her communities volunteering with Pink Ladies, March of Dimes and Meals on Wheels.
For the last 30 years, Elaine and Dick lived at the Errol Country Club in Apopka, Fla., just outside Orlando, making many "new" dear friends while providing a base for travel and affording family and old friends warm respite from Northern winters. She is survived by her husband Dick and two sons, Stephen Henderson Manville (Susan) of Whitmore Lake, Mich., and Richard Andrew Manville of Winter Springs, Fla., granddaughters Sarah Manville of Fishers, Ind., and Maggie Manville of Chelsea, Mich., nieces Margy (Alex) Geffert of England, Mary Lotterer of Lake Elsinore, Calif., and nephew David Lotterer of Belleview, Wash. A celebration of her life was held at 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 24 at Loomis Funeral Home, Apopka, Fla. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice of the Comforter (Altamonte Springs, Fla.) or hospice of one's choice.
Services entrusted to Loomis Family Funeral Home, 420 W. Main St., Apopka, Fla., 32712, (407) 880-1007. Please visit www.loomisfuneralhomes.com to sign the online guestbook.