He is again with his wife of 62 years, Lilian (or Puggy, as she was known to family). He was the beloved father of five children, Lorie, Eddie, Patty, and Larry (Kathy) Manciet and Katie (Pat) Frey; thirteen grandchildren; and twelve great-grandchildren.
A third generation Tucsonan, Hector Manciet was born on May 6, 1927, the fifth child of Eduardo Manciet and Ernestina Encinas.
Following the death of his mother in 1931, his father entered into a second marriage with Helen Leon. Together, they had one child, Robert. Following the death of his father in 1938, Hector started working to help his stepmother support the family.
Hector attended Drachman Elementary, Safford Junior High, and Tucson High Schools. He was drafted while still in high school, completely missing his senior year. He was inducted into the army the same day his brother, Gene Montijo, was born in 1945.
Upon his return from military service in 1946, he enrolled at the University of Arizona. He went to work there at the Student Union Coop, where he gained some of his amazing cooking skills. He was an active member of the El Centro Catholic Men’s Club, softball leagues, bowling leagues, and golfing. It was at softball games and practices where he met Pug, his future wife. They eloped in February 1950 and were married in Naco, Mexico. A church marriage at Santa Cruz Catholic Church followed that June.
In 1954, Hector was promoted to the position of Games Room Director. In this capacity, he coached the 1955 Arizona Women’s Pocket Billiard Team. That team was the first team – male or female - to win a national championship for the Wildcats. His work at the University of Arizona ended when he purchased Security Exterminating Company in 1958.
Hector and Pug liked to travel. Trips with their children, grandchildren, and close family members were a particular delight. Hector became an avid deep-sea fisherman. His passion for fishing lasted many, many years and was shared with numerous others.
From the time he was a child, he developed the characteristics of discipline, responsibility, and hard work. Hector was principled, self-reliant, honest, fair, and direct. He will be remembered as a family-centered man who was amazing, upbeat, friendly, caring, silly, honest, inspiring, tenacious, principled, determined, loving, cheeky, interesting, and giving.
Family to some and friend of many others, he will be abundantly missed.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that those wishing to remember him make a donation to Operation Smile or to their favorite charity.
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