Michael Alexander Manlin

Michael Alexander Manlin, age 81, passed away peacefully on October 8, 2026. He was born July 10, 1945, in Manhattan, New York, to Max Manlin and Else Karter and spent his early years in New York, Bavaria, and then in Sacramento with his mother. After graduating from McGeorge School of Law and passing the California State Bar, he and his wife, Melinda Bowman Manlin, moved to Monterey where he joined the Miller & Sincoff Law Firm in 1976, representing members of various labor unions. He was in the Kiwanis Club and enjoyed being an active member of the ACLU, supporting social justice work with the talented local chapter. After opening a law practice in Pacific Grove as a family law attorney and mediator, his interests turned to social work and then to teaching. He especially enjoyed substitute teaching in Soledad, Monterey, and Pacific Grove.

Michael was a member of St. Mary’s by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Pacific Grove and served on the Vestry.

Michael is survived by his children, Kathryn Brown (Seaside) and David Manlin (Bend, OR), and remembered by them as a voracious reader. To them he was the cool dad, the dad that never left the 70s. He was the dad that was always politically and locally engaged, helping people. He was born an only child, raised by a single mom who barely escaped the Holocaust. He always tried to be a good human in the world.

Michael is also survived by his grandchildren, Lucas (8) and Audrey (4), the joy of his final years, plus son-in-law, Hunter Brown. He’s also survived by his sister-in-law, Barbara Bowman (Oakland) and niece, Rebecca Feldman (Beaverton, OR), ex-wife, Melinda, and his cousin, Ruth Carter of Carmel Valley, along with numerous relatives in Melbourne, Sao Paulo, Switzerland, and Sacramento.

There will be a small gathering in the Leslie Garden at St. Mary’s by-the-Sea, Pacific Grove, at the end of November. Donations could be made to your favorite charity.