Manatt, Jeffrey George

Jeffrey George Manatt, 55, of Kirkland, Wash., passed away Nov. 13, 2013, in his sleep of natural causes. A Memorial Mass will be 10:30 a.m. Monday, Dec. 23, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Grinnell, with the Rev. Tim Manatt and the Rev. Ron Hodges officiating. Burial will be in the Manatt Mausoleum at Hazelwood Cemetery, Grinnell. A luncheon/reception will follow the mass at the Grinnell Country Club. Visitation with the family present has been scheduled from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22, at Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell.

Memorial donations may be made to the University of Iowa Ophthalmology School.

Jeff was born in Iowa on July 3, 1958, to Merlin and Verna George Manatt.

He is survived by his father, Merlin Manatt of Grinnell; his daughter, Jai Genevieve of Bellingham, Wash.; his partner and Jai's mother, Amy Birk of Victoria, British Columbia; two brothers, Bradford Manatt (Mary) of Newton and Tony Manatt (Piper) of DeWitt; three sisters, Michelle Manatt of Minneapolis, Molly Manatt (Robert Heir) of Castle Rock, Colo., and Julie Manatt of Eden Prairie, Minn.; eight nephews and four nieces.

Jeffrey graduated from the University of Iowa with a business degree and was employed in the Information Technology Systems industry in sales and worked primarily in Vancouver, B.C., Victoria, B.C. and Seattle, Wash.

Jeff will be well-remembered for his love of people. He was a man full of kindness and everywhere he went he touched the hearts of many.

Jeff was a hardworking, positive man who enjoyed every second of his life. He had a passion for music, sports, travel and most of all, his family. Jeff found happiness in entertaining others and always welcomed his friends and their friends into his life and home. Above all, Jeff was a dedicated and loving father to Jai.

Published Dec. 19, 2013 in The Gazette