Maureen Frate Menninger

Maureen Frate Menninger, 75, of Charlotte, NC entered eternal life January 19, 2025. Maureen was born to Charles and Kathleen Frate, March 18, 1949, in Charleston, SC. Growing up, she moved around the southeast with her family where they ultimately settled in Charlotte, NC. She graduated high school from Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High School and received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Furman University.

In January of 1979, Maureen married Charles (Chuck) Menninger in Charlotte, NC at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. The two moved to Alabama shortly after marrying and started their journey of moving around to many states east of the Mississippi River. They welcomed their daughter, Nicole, in December 1981 in Louisiana. Ultimately, they too settled in Charlotte, NC in 1994.

Maureen was a contact lens technician for Horizon Eye Care for 26 years before her retirement in 2020. Her incredibly outgoing personality, mischievous eyes, and warm smile made many of her patients at ease and it was hard to go anywhere in Charlotte without her running into someone she knew. In the rare occasion she was somewhere she didn’t know someone, she was quick to strike up a conversation and make fast friends with strangers everywhere she went.

Maureen loved to travel. There were annual beach vacations taken with family which were the highlight of her year. She and Chuck also visited Colorado in the summer, as well as Florida and Hilton Head Island throughout the year. They would often fish, ride horses, or just enjoy the sun. She loved playing golf and often looked forward to beating her husband at Cedarwood Country Club where they were members.

Maureen was preceded in death by her parents, Charles J. Frate and Kathleen E. Frate (Charlotte, NC), her sister Francine F. McNeill (Las Cruces, NM), and son Christopher (d. 1983). She is survived by her husband of 46 years, Charles (Chuck) Menninger; daughter Nicole (Niki), son-in-law Jonathan Manke; and granddaughters Olivia and Amelia, all of Charlotte, NC. She will be dearly missed by an extended network of family, friends, and colleagues whose lives she touched with humor, love, and kindness.

A visitation will be held at McEwen Funeral Home – 5716 Monroe Road, Charlotte, NC 28212 on Friday, January 31, 2025 from 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church – 6828 Old Reid Road, Charlotte, NC 28210 on Saturday, February 1, 2025 at 2:30pm. An interment of her ashes will be held at Sharon Memorial Park as a private ceremony with family.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be donated to the American Cancer Society or the Humane Society.

McEwen Funeral Services is serving the family.