Obituary for Henry Robert "Bob" Menapace
Bob Menapace, 94, passed away peacefully January 3 at Laurel Lake Retirement Community in Hudson. He was born October 5, 1927, in New Philadelphia to Italian immigrant parents Albert and Emma (nee Panizza) Menapace. He was raised by a loving family on a farm west of New Philadelphia during the Great Depression. He learned the value of hard work and caring for the land by tilling the family farmland with two horses and a plow. He attended Ragersville Elementary School and graduated from New Philadelphia High School in 1945. He served as a medic in the U.S. Army from January 1946 thru June 1947. In 1953, he graduated with a BS in chemistry from Ohio State University. After working for a year at Monsanto in Dayton, he returned to Ohio State for graduate work. After graduating in 1958 with a PhD in organic chemistry, he and his wife moved to Indiana where he worked for Standard Oil. Four years later, he and his family returned to Ohio. In 1989, he retired from Goodyear Research in Akron after 27 years of service. At Goodyear, he obtained multiple patents for compounds and processes used in tire manufacturing.
In his retirement, he enjoyed his lifelong pastime of gardening. He firmly believed in living his faith by helping others - he delivered Meals on Wheels, distributed food at the Good Neighbors food cupboard with fellow Goodyear retirees and visited relatives and friends when they were ill. He was a longtime member and lector at Holy Family Catholic Church in Stow, where he lived for over five decades. For several years, he was treasurer of PFLAG-Akron, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting families with lesbian, gay and transgender children. An avid reader, he followed current events and frequently wrote letters to the editor of the Akron Beacon Journal. In his later years, he published a booklet of his letters and a booklet of his haiku poems.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his beloved wife of 42 years, Catherine Galay Menapace, sister Ann (Mike) Seikel, brothers Ernie (Opal) and Albert (Dorothy) Menapace, and nephew Mark Menapace. He was also preceded in death by his wife’s siblings and their spouses: Helen (John) Henderson, Rosie (Vince) Staffileno, Myron Galay and Sonia Tarr.
He is survived by his children Mike (Frankie) Menapace of Brandon, MS; Pat (John) Marzec of Westerville; and Bruce Menapace (Gregory Jones) of Cleveland; grandchildren Andy (Bonnie) Menapace, Laura (Peter) Boswell, and Audrey Marzec; great granddaughters Brinkley and Maggie Boswell; and sister-in-law Charlyn Kulla and brother and sister-in-law, David and Pat Tarr. He was the kind and caring “Uncle Bob” to many beloved nieces, nephews and their children.
The family is very grateful for the care and companionship that staff and friends at Laurel Lake provided for many years.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 1PM, Saturday, March 26, in Holy Family Catholic Church, 3179 Kent Rd, Stow, OH 44224. Immediately following Mass (at approximately 2PM), there will be a reception with light refreshments in the lower church hall. You are kindly asked to wear a mask when inside the church. Thank you for your cooperation.
Flowers may be delivered to the church Saturday morning, March 26, after 9AM. In lieu of flowers memorial donations be made to the Parkinson's Foundation, 200 SE 1st Street, Suite 800, Miami, FL 33131 (https://www.parkinson.org/) or Good Neighbors Community Outreach and Food Center, 1453 Goodyear Blvd, Akron, OH 44305 (http://www.good-neighbors.org/)
For those who won't be attending in person, the funeral will be live streamed (see links at: https://www.holyfamilystow.org/live-streams)
In his retirement, he enjoyed his lifelong pastime of gardening. He firmly believed in living his faith by helping others - he delivered Meals on Wheels, distributed food at the Good Neighbors food cupboard with fellow Goodyear retirees and visited relatives and friends when they were ill. He was a longtime member and lector at Holy Family Catholic Church in Stow, where he lived for over five decades. For several years, he was treasurer of PFLAG-Akron, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting families with lesbian, gay and transgender children. An avid reader, he followed current events and frequently wrote letters to the editor of the Akron Beacon Journal. In his later years, he published a booklet of his letters and a booklet of his haiku poems.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his beloved wife of 42 years, Catherine Galay Menapace, sister Ann (Mike) Seikel, brothers Ernie (Opal) and Albert (Dorothy) Menapace, and nephew Mark Menapace. He was also preceded in death by his wife’s siblings and their spouses: Helen (John) Henderson, Rosie (Vince) Staffileno, Myron Galay and Sonia Tarr.
He is survived by his children Mike (Frankie) Menapace of Brandon, MS; Pat (John) Marzec of Westerville; and Bruce Menapace (Gregory Jones) of Cleveland; grandchildren Andy (Bonnie) Menapace, Laura (Peter) Boswell, and Audrey Marzec; great granddaughters Brinkley and Maggie Boswell; and sister-in-law Charlyn Kulla and brother and sister-in-law, David and Pat Tarr. He was the kind and caring “Uncle Bob” to many beloved nieces, nephews and their children.
The family is very grateful for the care and companionship that staff and friends at Laurel Lake provided for many years.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 1PM, Saturday, March 26, in Holy Family Catholic Church, 3179 Kent Rd, Stow, OH 44224. Immediately following Mass (at approximately 2PM), there will be a reception with light refreshments in the lower church hall. You are kindly asked to wear a mask when inside the church. Thank you for your cooperation.
Flowers may be delivered to the church Saturday morning, March 26, after 9AM. In lieu of flowers memorial donations be made to the Parkinson's Foundation, 200 SE 1st Street, Suite 800, Miami, FL 33131 (https://www.parkinson.org/) or Good Neighbors Community Outreach and Food Center, 1453 Goodyear Blvd, Akron, OH 44305 (http://www.good-neighbors.org/)
For those who won't be attending in person, the funeral will be live streamed (see links at: https://www.holyfamilystow.org/live-streams)