Obituary

Linda Beth Manzer

Nov. 29, 1940 – Jan. 13, 2024

Linda Beth Manzer, 83, of St. Helena, CA, passed away on January 13, 2024. Linda was born in Oakland, CA, on November 29, 1940, to George and Adelgunde (Busse) Kilner. Upon graduating from Oakland High, she worked for Metropolitan Life Insurance in San Francisco as well as Pacific Telephone Co.

Linda married Norman Manzer in 1968, and soon after moved to Calistoga as Norm began a new job as Manager of the Napa County Fair. Linda was very active in the fair activities until their move in 1973 to St. Helena, where Norm opened his State Farm Insurance office.

Linda was able to be an old-fashioned stay-at-home mom and was very involved in the lives of their children, Paul born in 1971, and Natalie born in 1974, and for the past 19 years she relished in the closeness of her only grandchild, Layne Griffin. She was very active in the St. Helena community, having been past president of the St. Helena Junior Women’s Club, a 30-year member of Grace Episcopal Church, and a Rectora for Cursillo of the Redwood Empire. Linda also loved to travel to Europe, Central America, and Asia, and she attended Rotary International conventions around the world.

For more than 24 years Linda was a co-leader of Grace Episcopal Church’s mission work with orphans in Russia, having made 32 trips in 24 years operating summer camps in Russia as well as two transitional homes for teenage Russian orphans. To support that work, she served as Volunteer Coordinator at the annual church fundraiser, “It’s Not Your Mother’s Rummage Sale.”

Linda will be remembered for her compassion and loving kindness towards others, especially in helping at-risk children. She is survived by Norm, Paul, Natalie, and Layne; and her siblings: George Kilner Jr., and Barbara Kilner-Lauderdale. She is predeceased by her parents; and brother, Jerry Kilner.

December 28, marked Linda and Norm’s 55th wedding anniversary.

To honor Linda’s memory, there will be a Celebration of Life service at Grace Episcopal Church in St. Helena at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 24, 2024, with a reception to follow.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations to the Orphans & Vulnerable Children Ministry of Grace Episcopal Church, 1314 Spring St., St Helena, 94574.

The family wishes to express their thanks and appreciation to Liliana Alcantar Pena for her caregiving and loving kindness to Linda and her family, as well as the compassionate care of Linda at The Cedars Care Home in Calistoga in the final months of her life.