Jean M. Mannella

Jean M. Deasy Mannella, 91, of Brookline, died Oct. 29 at Friendship Village of the South Hills. Jean was a child of the Depression, and her practical, hard-working approach to life was precisely defined by the economies of that time. She was frugal but particularly generous with her time and her love for family and friends. But her dollars contained elastic and stretched far. Appliances, tools and toys that entered her home never broke. The stove that she received as a wedding gift in 1953 remained functional until her daughters insisted she replace it 64 years later. Her home was always beyond neat and uncluttered, yet she managed to hold on to all of her daughters' favorite playthings so her grandchildren could enjoy them too. After she gave up driving, two of her grandsons were able to use her 30-year-old car while attending college, once they learned how to manually roll up the windows. Jean was the daughter of the late Mary and John Deasy, the oldest of their six children. She worked as a secretary at an Oakland car dealership, where she met Al Mannella, a mechanic. As way of introduction, he bought her a BabyRuth candy bar, which she ate even though that wasn't her favorite. She and Al fell in love and she loved the life of a wife, mother and homemaker. The majority of her recipes contained either Campbell's tomato soup or cream of mushroom, and they were notoriously short on fresh fruits or vegetables. Her salads were minuscule, but her delicious, homemade cookies — the most important part of any meal — were abundant. She served as a volunteer at Our Lady of Loreto school and as a member of the church's parish council and bereavement committee. When Al died at just 49, she went to work as an accounting clerk for a buyer in Kaufmann's department store. Her daughters benefited from her employee discount, access to the manufacturer samples and great bargains from the clearance rack. After her retirement, she drove for Meals on Wheels and always was available for her seven grandchildren, teaching them to love the Steelers, Wheel of Fortune and cute sweatshirts with tiny collars. By doing so much with little, she created a life of abundance for her grateful daughters, Susan Mannella of Bethel Park, Sharon Kelly of Keymar, MD, and Marilyn Schultz and her husband, Bill, of South Fayette; grandchildren, Ellen and Kevin Goodlett, Patrick and Katie Kelly and Amanda (Nick Guyan), Scott and Emily Schultz. In addition, Jean is survived by a sister, Karen Deasy, and a brother, Dick (Kathleen) Deasy, both of Maryland. Friends will be received from 2 to 7 p.m. MONDAY, WILLIAM SLATER II FUNERAL SERVICE, 1650 Greentree Road, Scott Township. Mass of Christian Burial 10 a.m. TUESDAY, Holy Child Church-Corpus Christi Parish, 212 Station Street, Bridgeville. Please everyone meet at Church. Burial will be in Queen of Heaven Cemetery, Peters. If desired, memorial contributions may be made to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. www.slaterfuneral.com