Martin Leon Manuel Jr.

Martin Leon Manuel Jr., age 74, of Berkeley, Calif. passed away peacefully of natural causes on May 22, 2026. It followed a courageous 10-year journey as a stroke survivor. As with all of life’s challenges, he faced this difficult journey with humor, dignity and grace . He is survived by his wife and life partner of 51 years, Lynn Berling-Manuel; his loving brother Gary Edmond Manuel and a cherished extended family of in-laws, cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents Rose Alice Manuel and Martin Leon Manuel Sr. and his older brother Harold Randolph Manuel.

Martin will be remembered for his kindness, his unwavering commitment to friends and family, his silly sense of humor and his deep stubborn streak. He also loved Hawaii, hats, the Allman Brothers, giraffes and Hot Tamales.

Born on December 20, 1951 in Berkeley, CA, Martin was a 1970 graduate of Albany (CA) High School and later attended San Francisco State University. He and Lynn lived in a variety of Bay Area communities including Berkeley, Oakland and Albany, before moving to Kansas City Mo. in 2016. Martin had recently retired and was supporting Lynn as she accepted a new job in the City of Fountains. Sadly, Martin’s devastating stroke occurred during the relocation process. They never quite had the Kansas City adventure they had hoped for, but they built a new community of friends and colleagues, making Kansas City their home.

Martin had a variety of professional roles and entrepreneurial efforts over the years, but the through-line of his work life was always helping people. It included almost 10 years as first a volunteer, then a staff member of the Dorothy Day House homeless breakfast program in Berkeley, Calif.

A Celebration of Life will be held June 27, 2026, 2-5 p.m. at the Melodee Club, 240 El Cerrito Plaza, El Cerrito, CA. (21+ only, please).

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to your local Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) or National Public Radio (NPR) stations. He was a long-time donor to both and their recent defunding by the federal government has left these critical American institutions in urgent need.