Manuel Maciel

Passed away peacefully at home in Cambridge on Friday, February 19, 2016 at the age of 90. Beloved husband of Mariana for 62 years. Loving father to John (Beverley), Emmanuel (Sheryl), Maria (Marcello) De Santis and Manuel (Kim). Cherished grandfather of Jordan, Sean, Julia, Erika (Tim) Ingram, Justin, Zach, Luca, Bianca, Matteo, Sierra, Marcus and Nathan and proud great-grandfather of Max. He will also be lovingly remembered by other family and friends. Manuel retired in 1990 from the Galt Country Club where he was a groundskeeper for many years. Next to his family, Manuel’s greatest passions in life were his love of saltwater fishing, his boat and favourite soccer team, The Sporting Club of Portugal. The family wishes to thank the Personal Support Workers for their compassionate care during the last few years. Visitation will be held at the T. Little Funeral Home and Cremation Centre, 223 Main Street, Cambridge (519-623-1290) on Monday, February 22nd from 2 – 4 p.m. and 7 – 9 p.m. with Rosary Prayers said at 8:45 p.m. The Funeral Mass will be celebrated Our Lady of Fatima Church, 185 Elgin Street South, Cambridge on Tuesday, February 23, 2016 at noon. Cremation will follow. As expressions of sympathy, donations to the Heart and Stroke Foundation or the Parkinson Society of Canada would be appreciated by the family.

Manuel Maciel was blessed with an abundance of leadership qualities. It would be accurate to say that this man was an outstanding luminary and that his natural abilities served him well. He knew with certainty how he wanted to set priorities in all aspects of his life. He struck those who knew him as the kind of person who awoke in the morning with a clear sense of exactly what he expected from his day and how to set about accomplishing those goals. Manuel was a man who definitely liked order and was most comfortable with an organized and structured lifestyle. When this climate was absent, Manuel would set about immediately to create it.

Manuel was born on September 15, 1925 at Rua da Alegria in Sao Miguel, Azores, Portugal. His parents were Irene Amelia and Artur Augusto da Silveira Maciel. Manuel was raised in Vila do Porto, Santa Maria, Azores. Manuel was brought up to be reasonable in his actions and was taught to use his intellect wisely. He was an honest and straightforward child, traits that reinforced his self-confidence. Even at a young age, Manuel was credited with having a positive influence on those around him.

The positive atmosphere that Manuel generated spread to his family. Manuel was raised with one sibling. He had an older sister, Clotilde. Manuel served as a catalyst within the family. He often found himself in the role of providing fair solutions to those sibling disputes. In every family activity, Manuel was able to demonstrate his uncommon logic and skill at building compromise.

Manuel's enthusiasm for learning and the personal energy that enthusiasm generated led to his exhibiting leadership qualities early on in his childhood. He liked to see things executed properly and showed a skill for taking control of situations that were drifting out of control. At the same time, he was willing to experiment with different approaches as he worked a plan towards a solution. As a young boy, he took part in soccer. He was a member of Mocidade Portuguesa. In his spare time he liked to play sports and checkers.

When it came to academics and school, Manuel's organizational skills reaped dividends. Manuel was able to create a system for getting his class work done in a proper and timely manner. With a strong ability to analyze his schoolwork and assignments, he could apply a practical, common sense approach completing his studies. He showed a natural curiosity in the manner in which he tackled new types of problems and would regularly challenge his own reasoning ability in finding solutions. He graduated from Escola do Campo, Sao Jose, Sao Miguel in 1937. He enjoyed some courses more than others and developed favorite classes and teachers.

In a group of friends and acquaintances, Manuel was typically the first person to take the initiative to go up and greet someone new. That quality made him very approachable by others throughout his life. This same quality brought Manuel the reward of many friends. Maintaining loyalty to those friends was a trait that came naturally to Manuel. He believed that he should treat others in a fair manner, in the same way he wanted to be treated. Manuel also showed a great deal of appreciation for the accomplishments of his friends. While growing up, some of his best friends were Jaime do Couto. Later in life, he became friends with Luis da Ponte, Jacinto Bligo, Silvino Cordeiro e Jose Antonio Sousa.

As Manuel knew in other aspects of his life, he had a clear vision of what he sought in a relationship and worked hard to achieve it. On February 11, 1954 Manuel exchanged wedding vows with Mariana de Lurdes Lopes Batista at Igreija dos Anjos of Santa Maria, Azores. Mariana was a significant part of his life, and it wasn’t necessary for Manuel to be overly sentimental or expressive about it for others to be aware of their mutual devotion. Manuel's secret to success was that he always kept the lines of communication open in the marriage and applied the important skill of being a good listener.

Family and children were important to Manuel. Mariana and Manuel were blessed with four children, three sons, John, Emmanuel and Manuel and one daughter, Maria. They were also blessed with 12 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild, Jordan, Sean, Julia, Erika, Justin, Zach, Luca, Bianca, Matteo, Sierra, Marcus, Nathan and Max. Manuel was able to keep order in the family by using the same efficient and straightforward methods with the family as he did at work. Manuel rarely made a scene when it came to discipline. Instead, he was subtle and patient in his dealings when teaching the children right from wrong.

At work Manuel was viewed as a natural leader. He could marshal all of the available resources, including personnel and materials, in order to meet virtually any objective. He was great at developing strategies and made maximum progress with little wasted effort. Manuel was also adept at uncovering new and more efficient ways of getting things done. He was able to establish and meet objectives and schedules through long range planning and was always able to keep the big picture clearly in sight. Although Manuel might have been described by some as an overachiever, he was without question a dedicated and diligent employee. His primary occupation was assistant groundskeeper. He was employed for 25 years by the Galt Country Club.

Manuel was an Army veteran. He was in the Portuguese army stationed in Sao Miguel, Azores. Through his dedication and hard work, he achieved the rank of Corporal in the military police. Manuel's fellow soldiers knew that he worked well within the system, understanding the importance of rules and striving to follow them. Manuel's life approach was all about order.

Not only did Manuel find pleasure in pursuing his various hobbies, he also enjoyed the discovery and research involved in learning about them. His skill at problem solving had a positive influence on these activities as well. His favorite pursuits were fishing, watching soccer, playing croquet and checkers.

No matter what the activity was, Manuel had the ability to motivate others. This talent influenced his participation in sports, too. He sought out the possibilities in a competitive situation, and he stayed cool and calm under pressure. He relished the stimulation of the action and energy associated with sports. In school, Manuel played soccer. Recreational sports included soccer and deep sea fishing. He was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed following his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were soccer and watching his favourite team Sporting Club of Portugal.

Manuel's ability to motivate, direct and organize others made him a valuable asset to the organizations to which he contributed during his lifetime. Manuel was one who could be counted on to work hard to implement goals and required little to begin work on a specific task. Once a project was begun, Manuel had a definite methodology for seeing it through to completion. Throughout his later years, Manuel was an active member of the Oriental Sports Club (Cambridge) and member of the Holy Spirit Foundation of the Micalenses.

Manuel was a man who took pride in upholding his beliefs. When he became active in community affairs, he did so in the same determined and forthright manner that he applied to other aspects of his life, Manuel was president of Goncalo Velho Soccer Club in Santa Maria, Azores. Politically, Manuel served as Alderman for Vila do Porto, Azores from 1963 until 1966.

Manuel lived his life guided by a well-defined set of beliefs. His faith and religion were important aspects of those beliefs. He was a member of our Lady of Fatima Church in Cambridge, Ontario. Manuel was a devout follower of Senhor Santo Cristo as well as o Espirito Santo.

Traveling, especially vacations, was another way for Manuel to apply his exceptional leadership and organizational skills. He liked exploring different places. Favorite vacations included returning to the Azores to visit friends and family.

Manuel was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. One of Manuel's favorites was a dog called 'Danubio'. They were best friends for 15 years. He also had a cat called 'Pelinha'.

When Manuel's retirement finally came in 1991, he was well prepared. He had worked out all of the details well in advance and knew exactly what he was going to do. In retirement, he found new pleasure in looking after his lawn, spending time with his grandchildren and visiting his favourite restaurant 'The Mandarin'. Always a well-informed person, Manuel enjoyed adding to his wealth of knowledge. Retirement afforded him the time to enjoy that experience and provided one more opportunity to look ahead at what life might offer him.

Manuel passed away on February 19, 2016 at home in Cambridge, Ontario. He died of natural causes. He is survived by his wife Mariana, his 4 children, his 12 grandchildren and his 1 great-grandchild Max. Services were held at Our Lady of Fatima Church. Manuel was cremated.

Manuel Maciel knew what he wanted from life and never hesitated in going after it. He could be characterized as a driven individual, someone who understood the importance of achievement. Manuel was decisive and outspoken at times but was also positive and upbeat about most things. He was a leader, both intentionally and sometimes by default. If he saw that something needed to be done, he was always ready to step up and actualize, organize and implement a plan.

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Passed away peacefully at home in Cambridge on Friday, February 19, 2016 at the age of 90. Beloved husband of Mariana for 62 years. Loving father to John (Beverley), Emmanuel (Sheryl), Maria (Marcello) De Santis and Manuel (Kim). Cherished grandfather of Jordan, Sean, Julia, Erika (Tim) Ingram, Justin, Zach, Luca, Bianca, Matteo, Sierra, Marcus and Nathan and proud great-grandfather of Max. He will also be lovingly remembered by other family and friends. Manuel retired in 1990 from the Galt Country Club where he was a groundskeeper for many years. Next to his family, Manuel’s greatest passions in life were his love of saltwater fishing, his boat and favourite soccer team, The Sporting Club of Portugal. The family wishes to thank the Personal Support Workers for their compassionate care during the last few years. Visitation will be held at the T. Little Funeral Home and Cremation Centre, 223 Main Street, Cambridge (519-623-1290) on Monday, February 22nd from 2 – 4 p.m. and 7 – 9 p.m. with Rosary Prayers said at 8:45 p.m. The Funeral Mass will be celebrated Our Lady of Fatima Church, 185 Elgin Street South, Cambridge on Tuesday, February 23, 2016 at noon. Cremation will follow. As expressions of sympathy, donations to the Heart and Stroke Foundation or the Parkinson Society of Canada would be appreciated by the family.