Patricia Mancz Young

A life-long Ohioan, Patricia Ann Mancz was born December 1, 1935 in Akron to Anthony Joseph Mancz and Frances Daisy (Mort) Mancz. Pat was raised in a household that included her younger sister, Marjorie Frances Mancz, Blondie the cat and Ginger the dog. There would be many more feline and canine friends over her lifetime. Pat discovered her love of digging in the dirt by age five. A neighbor taught her about planting vegetables soon afterward and she developed a lifelong love of gardening. She took several years of piano lessons and enjoyed singing along with the music. She attended Portage Path Elementary School and graduated from Buchtel High School in 1953, where she was a member of the Rhythmettes and had a killer outside shot in basketball. Always a free-thinker, she entered the Akron General Hospital School of Nursing with ideas about becoming a midwife in Kentucky or a missionary in the Congo. Her plans were later foiled when she met Dennis Eugene Young the first week of summer 1954 at a Methodist youth group picnic. After graduating in 1956, she passed her state board exams, became a registered nurse and married Dennis that fall.

Pat settled into life as a housewife and part-time nurse in Clinton. A daughter Laura Rae arrived in 1957, a son James Bradley arrived in 1959 and another son Martin Eugene arrived in 1961. As a mom, she particularly enjoyed reading to her children. She was an excellent seamstress and also took up crocheting. She ran a Brownie troop for two years. She could draw and paint and lent her talents to school and community productions as a scenery and costume designer. Her musical tastes expanded from Verdi operas and the great choruses to Joe Cocker, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Tom Jones. In 1970, Pat and Dennis joined the back-to-the-land movement and purchased 23 acres of homestead in Canal Fulton. They planted organic gardens, canned, froze and dried the harvests and raised goats, rabbits, chickens, ducks, geese and horses. Her kids grew up and married – Laura to Fred Smith, James to Mary Lou Fife and Martin to Kaysie Caiazza. Afterward, they sold the farm and moved to 95 acres of wilderness in Stockport where Pat found her paradise and where she and Dennis built a log cabin and planted thousands of trees. Five beautiful granddaughters arrived. Pat developed a love of buying used books at library sales and antiques at yard sales. She learned to play the accordion and would entertain her grandkids with “The Funky Chicken” at family gatherings.

While Pat and Dennis lived in Stockport, they traveled around the United States and visited many of our wonderful national parks, including her favorite, the Grand Canyon. Pat also continued her nursing career until she hung up her cap after 40 years of service. When the hills of southeastern Ohio became too difficult to climb, Pat and Dennis moved to Massillon and purchased a house on a quiet cul-de-sac in 2006. All the granddaughters found suitable mates. Pat and Dennis welcomed a great-grandson in 2021 and lost their daughter-in-law Kaysie to a chronic illness in 2020. When the house became too much to maintain, they returned to Canal Fulton in early 2023 and settled in at Chapel Hill Community.

Pat passed away at the age of 88 on July 21, 2024 after a short illness due to Heart Block. She is preceded in death by both parents. She is survived by her 93-year-old husband, Dennis with whom she had an over 70-year-long romance. She is also survived by her children Laura (Fred) Smith of Lakewood, James (Mary Lou) Young of Dublin and Martin Young of North Canton, five granddaughters, a great-grandson and her sister Marjorie Belair of New Albany. Although no calling hours, funeral or burial services are planned at this time, a joint celebration of life with Dennis will occur sometime in the future. In lieu of flowers or gifts, please consider donating to your favorite food pantry or purchasing a memorial tree.