Phyllis Mannion

Long version 

 

1 – Born in Sound Bend 

PHYLLIS ANN MANNION passed into the hands of the LORD on September 16, 2021.  She was born August 13, 1933 in South Bend, Indiana to Daniel Frank Kozsis Papp, Jr. and Julia Salomon Papp. The family were part of a lively Hungarian Catholic enclave in South Bend. The lived at (photo?). Along with many others in the neighborhood, Daniel worked at the local Studebaker car factory. He and Julia later ran a pub where she served drinks and food and he chatted with patrons. Their large family of 7 girls and one boy grew up in South Bend. Phyllis’ parents spoke Hungarian at home, but at school she and her siblings felt the pressured to assimilate. Only Ann (Annie) the eldest learned to speak Hungarian. Phyllis regretted not speaking more and always looked for opportunities to connect with her heritage.  

 

Naturally studious, she was educated in South Bend schools where, based on her achievements, she was invited to attend a highly academic high school. In a large and busy family there were few opportunities to deeply connect. When her father walked her to the new school, it was one of the few times Phyllis felt close to him. She sensed that he was impressed by her intelligence and proud of her.  

 

Sister Annie played an outsized role family life as a stand-in for their mother Julia who was often working. Annie drew on remarkable inner resources to care affectionately for her siblings. She and Phyllis remained close throughout their lives, both eventually moving to California along with youngest sister Louise. In the final days of her illness, Phyllis received a teddy bear as a gift that she named Annie, and thoughts of the sister who radiated maternal love were very much in her mind as she approached death. 

 

2 – Leaving home 

Leaving South Bend when she finished school, Phyllis lived in Miami Beach, Florida. She was fun-loving and active. She trained to become a secretary and got a job as an Executive Assistant. She dominated the keyboard of the electric typewriter (she was unmatched in words per minute) and secret language of shorthand. Smart, skilled and well-organized, she excelled. She never lost these skills and continued to hammer at the typewriter creating letters and recipe cards until it finally retired. 

 

 

3 – Meeting Ed 

One weekend, after a fall on the Tahoe ski slopes, she met Ed, who helped her up. She was on a date with someone else, but she and Ed connected. They dated, but Ed had plans to sail to Hawaii with a friend. Once he got back, he called Phyllis from a phone booth at Berkeley Marina – he was back in town and she was the girl for him. Did she want to get married? 

 

Phyllis and Edmund (Ed) Mannion, Jr. were married on February 12, 1966 at St. Ignatius Catholic Church in Carmichael, Calif. They both worked in the aerospace industry. They spent time in Logan, Utah while Ed studied for his doctorate. Phyllis began what would become a decades-long career as a freelance editor, first editing Ed’s academic papers and then those of their other student-friends. Hungry to apply her intellect, she started accumulating credits for her Bachelor’s degree at American River College and San Jose State. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a major in English from Chico State in 1969, an accomplishment she was immensely proud of.   

 

  

4 – Young family 

When Ed got a teaching job at Chico State University, the couple settled in Chico in 1968 where they lived for 53 years. Their daughter Shelley Ann was born a few years later. After bouncing around Chico residences, the couple decided to build their dream home on a dramatic hillside plot in Stilson Canyon. It was covered with volcanic rock. They worked with local architect John Anderson to design the house which Ed and a small team of carpenters built entirely by hand. They moved into the new house in 1978. Phyllis teasingly lamented that the laundry room was never finished, even forty years later! 

 

Once in the new house, Phyllis settled into a new life caring for her young family. During these years, she developed into a proficient family cook and baker. Her hours spent in the light-filled kitchen with panoramic views produced many delights, from fresh salads to heaty meatloaf. She celebrated her Hungarian heritage by preparing traditional meals from her mother Julia’s recipes. Her favorite dish was chicken paprikash with tarhonya – small egg dumplings. Like sisters Annie and Louise, Phyllis had a knack for pies: apple, blackberry, pecan, lemon meringue, they crowned many holiday meals. She appreciated healthy eating and, as research emerged about the benefits of a low cholesterol, plant-based diet, she adapted her menus. In later years, she made a weekly run to the Farmers Market for organic almond milk and other products she enjoyed.  

 

5 – A second career 

Around this time, Phyllis became a room parent at Parkview Elementary School where Shelley attended. Once Shelley moved on, Phyllis explored new career options, but her love of words was irrepressible. She always had a way with words and was a talented editor and writer. She brought joy to friends and loved ones through her thoughtful, well-timed cards and messages that often included sensitively chosen quotes from scripture. An instinctual editor, she read the local newspaper and her 7-year-old daughter’s homework assignments with red pen in hand - which caused more than one argument! Recognizing this led her to pursue a copy-editing course at Chico State which enabled her to build a network of author-clients. [Can we list some of the books she edited?]  

 

6 – Teenagers and a new daughter 

Phyllis was very present in her daughter’s teenager's  life and observed her growing interest for foreign languages and travel. In 1989, it was decided to welcome an exchange student in their lives from Spain.   

 The relationship that resulted from that experience brought lifelong memories and linked the two families forever. This “meant to be” bond transgressed blood lines and since then Carolina and her family became part of hers.  

 

 

 

7 – Travel  

Phyllis' adventurous streak made her an enthusiastic traveler. She enjoyed speaking French on trips to Europe and managed to get her companions out of a few awkward scrapes. She always looked forward to sharing new discoveries and special moments with her family living abroad. She visited her daughters in Holland, England and France several times. One of her favorite trips was to Southern France and Provence in 2002 where she met Carolina’s newborn daughter Maeline. [Caro, do you have photos of this? Yes I do ] 

 

Go Girls. For several years, she and a group of close friends planned monthly(?) trips around Northern California. They visited... 

 

On her most recent trip in 2019, she celebrated Christmas in London with her beloved granddaughters DeeDee and Sofia Rose, then 3 and 6. A Boxing Day trip to Harrods department store for the after-Christmas sales ticked an item off her bucket list. She visited Hawaii many times, including two special trips in recent years to celebrate her 50th anniversary in 2016 and more recently to accompany sister Louise on her annual pilgrimage to Maui. She savored and treasured these experiences, never allowing travel annoyances or minor disappointments to dampen her appreciation. 

 

8 – Faith 

Phyllis was a devoted Christian and her faith inspired many. Raised Catholic, she followed that church for many years. A true spiritual seeker, she investigated different strands of Christianity. She studied the Bible for many years through Bible Study Fellowship and other sources. She led small groups in Bible Study while attending Chico Evangelical Church. 

 

9 – Camp Fire 

[Mention Manny and his family] 

The house is currently being rebuilt after the 2018 Camp Fire.