Manuel Luna Mapula

Manuel Mapula passed away on February 01, 2025 at the age of 79. Born in a cab on the way to the hospital on September 17, 1945, he was known for his devotion to family, sense of humor, and quick wit. He touched the lives of many and will be dearly missed by his family and friends.

He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Susan Mapula of Apple Valley, CA, daughters Gina Gould (spouse Todd) of Hammett, ID, and Nicole Mapula of Oak Hills, CA, granddaughters Madison Gould and Mackenzie Gould of Boise, ID, and Abigail Fischer of Oak Hills, CA, and his sisters Rachel McCarroll of Phoenix, AZ, and Nanette Alexander. Services will be private.

Manuel proudly served his country (1965-1967) as a U.S. Army radio/TT operator in the Vietnam War. He loved to run, participating in many 5K and 10K runs in the Coachella Valley and Riverside County, as well as several Baker to Vegas law enforcement runs. He was a member of the Fraternal Order of Police in Indio, CA and joined the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) in Victorville, CA after he retired in 2010. He served as a delegate to the state DAV conference in 2015.

Manuel became a law enforcement officer with Riverside County Sheriff’s Department on January 11, 1971. He promoted to investigator and stayed with the department until 1986, when he transferred as an investigator to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. During his time with Riverside County he opened Manuel’s Traffic School, teaching traffic courses at the College of the Desert in Palm Desert. He retired from law enforcement in 1998, then opened his own private investigation business, 3M Investigations. In 2000 he hired on with San Bernardino County Public Defender’s Office in Victorville, CA and retired from there in 2010.

Manuel caught the travel bug in 2003, with ocean cruises being his favorite. Manuel and Sue were able to travel to Italy in 2011, crossing off one of his bucket list items. He and Sue had over 20 cruises under their belts prior to Manuel’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis, which unfortunately put a halt to future travels.

Services will be private with the family, but condolences may be added and sent through this website.