In Memory

Christopher Manbeck



 
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01/30/08 09:44 PM #1    

Richard Maynard

I was really saddened to find out about Chris. Chris was one of my high school buddies, but we had lost touch since high school. He was someone I was looking forward to seeing again.

When the reunion committee was dividing up names to locate, I took Chris. I googled him and an obituary came up. He was a pastor for a Nazarene Church in Wichita. I contacted the present pastor, who told me Chris had died very suddenly of a heart attack in 2001. I've posted his obituary below.

Chris and I were in the high school plays together and he was someone I often played basketball with. I remember he had a great vertical leap.

Here's his obit.....

Condolences Rev. Christopher Manbeck, 51, of Wichita died Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2001, of a heart attack. He was pastor of the Wichita Indian Hills Church of the Nazarene.

A member of MNU's pioneer class of 1972, Manbeck was involved in many campus activities while at MidAmerica including Heritage Choir, varsity basketball, Circuit Riders, debate, Circle K and the Conestoga. He was also student body president his senior year.

Manbeck received a B.A. in religion from MidAmerica Nazarene University. He also earned a Master of Religious Education from Nazarene Theological Seminary and a Master of Human Resources from Friends University.

He was currently working on a Master of Organizational Leadership Management at Webster University. He planned on beginning doctoral studies in the fall. Survivors include his wife, Bonni (Stevenson, f.s. 82); a son, Christopher Paul (current MNU student) of Wichita; his father, Philip Manbeck of Tampa, Fla.; his mother, Fern Mace of New Port Richey, Fla.; and two sisters, Debra Stroup of Dayton, Nev., and Beverly Rizk of New Port Richey, Fla. Memorial contributions may be sent to the Christopher Paul Manbeck College Fund, c/o Indian Hills Church of the Nazarene, 1555 N. McLean Blvd., Wichita, 67203.

02/25/08 05:40 PM #2    

Jacci Breuklander (Runyan)

Thank you for posting Chris' obituary Dick. I had such a crush on Chris in 5th grade.
Jacci Runyan

07/27/08 09:35 PM #3    

John Bowery

Chris and I grew up in the same church and ended up being room mates at Mid-America Nazarene College in our first semester. I chafed at the rigid rules of the Nazarene religion and transferred to Grinnell after a few months. Chris, on the other hand, embraced our faith, went on to become a pastor, and obviously led an exemplary life.

He always was a great guy, a good friend, and fun to be with. If you check out my profile, I uploaded a picture of Chris from our 1969 yearbook.

I remember that in our dormitory, situated right next to a corn field in Olathe, Kansas, we had a real rodent problem. As the weather turned colder (and careless classmates left the doors of the dormitory propped open)the field mice began taking refuge in our rooms. Because our room was just inside the West exit, we had even more than our share.

When mouse traps became overwhelmed, Chris and I began taking the law into our own hands, hunting the critters with brooms handles. We finally began hanging paper cutouts of mice on our door as a warning to other vermin and in a display of bravado (similar to a fighter pilot who records his "kills" on the fuselage).

Don't tell PETA, but it was kind of fun.

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