Gabriel Porfirio Manzanares

(Gabe/Cheeto)

Our loving father, grandfather, great-grand father, brother, Uncle and friend passed away in the comfort of his daughters’ home during the biggest snow storm in 2 decades, with his mother, daughters, grandchildren and niece by his side.

Gabe was born on July 16 th , 1949 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Senacio J. Manzanares and Gertrude (Maez) Manzanares. Gabe was the second of nine children. Dad was an adventurous being from day 1 always running around the streets of his hometown causing mischief with his brothers and cousins. If he wasn’t out cruising the town, you would find him hunting and fishing with the family or working on cars. Dad met Mom Debra K. Hodges when they were both teenagers. They were married in 1968 and that is where their adventure began. They and had 6 children Benny who was their angel baby, Nikki, Brandy, Arvie, Elizebeth and Samantha. They lived in Nevada, California, Germany, New Mexico and Utah. They later divorced, and dad moved to Albuquerque, NM until 1998, then he moved back to Utah.

Dad served in the US Army Special Forces Airborne and was a had qualifications as a Parachutist and sharpshooter. Dad was stationed in Hanau, Germany for 2 years, Mom and Nikki lived there with him. He was then transferred to San Francisco and finished out his Army career at Camp William’s in Utah. Some of the earliest memories of dad was watching him parashoot out of planes and landing at Camp Williams, it was so cool. Dad told the best stories about his time in the military, he would have us in laughing until we were tears.

Dad learned how to hunt, fish, play musical instruments and work on cars from the time he was born, it was the way of life for our whole family for generations. Some of our favorite memories was going camping in South Willow canyon with the whole family and watching dad, Grandpa Senacio and our uncles go out early in the morning to hunt while the grandma Gert, my mom and aunts chased us kids around and cooked awesome meals, in the evening we would sit around the campfire and listen to the guys play their guitars and harmonicas. Dad’s favorite place to fish was on the San Juan River in New Mexico especially during the salmon run in October. We all grew up on the banks of the San Juan. Dad passed his love for fishing on to the grandkids, he took them fishing at Jordanelle, Grantsville, Echo and Deer Creek Reservoir’s. Dad hunted and fished all over Utah, Colorado and New Mexico.

Dad he could fix any vehicle you put in front of him. He spent many years restoring classic cars and build race cars and up until recently, had a stockpile of classic cars he planned on restoring, we finally talked him into selling them because he was a busy body and would never get them done.

Dad loved to play music, he could play any instrument he picked up especially the harmonica, you name a song and he could play it. He had a collection of guitars, he loved to jam with Liz, she got the natural musical talent from him and had her own collection of guitars, and drums.

His other favorite person to jam was our nephew Colton, they could play for hours. He liked brag to everyone how he got to take his girls to a private concert with Richey Sambora (Bon Jovi) at Flanagan’s in Park City, that he knew and would play guitar with Hugh McDonald the bass guitarist for Bon Jovi and he had the same guitar as Paul McCartney, He even took pictures of himself with that guitar and put it side by side with the picture of Paul McCartney.

Dad had a gypsy soul. We called him the wonderer, we never knew when he was going to be when we talked with him, he liked to do his own thing on his own time. If he wasn’t out fishing or tinkering with cars, you would find him wondering the streets of Salt Lake, Park City or Heber going to his favorite restaurants, pubs, and bars. Dad did like to work; he was always busy doing handy man jobs for someone and he loved it. When he moved back to Utah he met The Hicken Family, they owned Plaza Cycle in West Valley and Heber. Dad started working for them as a handyman around the stores, shops, and their home. He also watched over the storage facility they owned. At the time he became ill, he was working away on a job for Preston Hicken, he was so mad because he couldn’t go finish it.

Thank you to the Hicken’s family for taking care of dad and keeping him busy for all these years. He then met John and Nancy Kenworthy (owners of Flanagan’s Irish Pub in Park City and The Rivers Edge campground in Heber) 16 years ago. Dad spent many of hours helping around both businesses, he made so many friends and those friends became our family. We cannot thank John and Nancy enough for everything they did for dad over the past several years, you were truly his best friends and a blessing in his and all our lives. We are so happy to be a part of the Flannagan and Rivers Edge Family.

Lastly, Dad loved his grandchildren and great-grand babies, in his eyes they could do no wrong. Being with them was the one thing he looked forward to, all the way up to the day he took his last breath, he wanted the kids with him. He put a drum set in his room and the kids would go in jump all over him and his bed, pound on those drums and he would just smile. He had so many things he wanted to do with them, it broke his heart knowing he wasn’t going to be able to take them fishing or to the aquarium or even cook for them, cooking was another favorite thing dad loved to do.

Dad wasn’t ready to leave us, he fought all the way up until he took his last breath, but we comforted to know that our sister Liz was there to take him home to our heavenly father because he kept saying her name and talking to her until his heart stopped beating, It was truly a beautiful think to witness.

Gabe is Survived by his mother Gertrude Manzanares, children Nikki (Lou Nicoletti) Manzanares, Brandy (Randy) Pitcher, Arvie (Chad) Christofferson, Samantha (Andy) Christensen, Brothers Benny, Nick and Trini Manzanares, Sisters, Gloria (Jake) Ortega (Bloomfield, NM), Debra (Jim) Arnold (Bloomfield, NM), Jacque (Rick) Allcorn ( Kirtland, NM), and Vicki (Peter) Denetclaw ( Farmington, NM), 15 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and many nephews, Nieces aunts, uncles and cousins.

Preceded in death by his Father Senacio, Son Benny, Daughter Elizebeth, Great- Grandson Christopher, Brother Joseph, Nephews Walter and Andrew and Niece Deanna along with his Grandparents, several Aunts, Uncles and Cousins We want to give a big thank you to Veterans Hospital in Salt Lake City for doing everything they could for dad, he always received great care. And A huge shout out to Inhabit Hospice and dads

care team. To Cissy his nurse who is awesomely amazing, she knew just how to deal with dad and his moods and went above and beyond caring for dad. To Kelly the Director of Nursing, Thank you for giving us Cissy and always checking in on us. To dad’s social worker Deaynne, you knew exactly what to say to dad, to keep him calm, you were the Zen in the house when you were here. To Christopher the Chaplin, thank you for talking shop with dad, it helped him for forget what that he was sick for just a little while and to Dr. Stayer, for being on top of dad care and constant adjustments to keep dad comfortable in the last 11 days he was with us.

A viewing will be held on Thursday March 2 nd, 2023 from 4:00 pm-5:00 pm at Kramer Family Funeral Home 2500 S Decker Lake Dr Salt Lake City, Utah 84119 followed by a Catholic Funeral Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, 2840 South 9000 West, Magna, Utah 84044 from 6:00 pm-7:00pm a light dinner and dessert will be served following mass.

Friday March, 3 rd 2023 at 10:00 am a grave side service will be held at the Veterans Cemetery at Camp Williams 17111 South Camp Williams Road Bluffdale Utah, 84065.