Wenceslao Salac Manalus

Wenceslao "Bill" Salac Manalus, 89, of Las Vegas, Nevada, passed away unexpectedly in his sleep at his

home on November 12th, 2024. He was born on September 30th, 1935, in Pampanga, Philippines, to Filomina S. and Ramon P. Manalus and was the oldest of seven siblings. He excelled academically and graduated Salutatorian in his high school class. However, because he lacked the funds to complete college in the Philippines, he applied for the steward program in the USCG. Always putting family first, he knew he had to succeed because their survival depended upon it. He entered the military, via the steward program, in January 11, 1955 and rose through the ranks of enlisted men to become the first Filipino to

be promoted to Master Chief in an unprecedented ten years, an achievement recorded in the Navy Times. He retired on March 1, 1977, after honorably serving 22 1/2 years. Using the G.I. Bill, along with working in the VA office of student affairs, he graduated from the University of Maine, with an Associate degree in Business Administration, as the salutatorian of his class. He worked many jobs after the service, including as a bartender and shift manager at the Sheraton Hotel in South Portland. He shared stories of working with Emerald Legasse and meeting Johnny Cash, Benny Hill, Dave Cowens, and others. His final job in Maine was as the manager of the South Portland Municipal Golf course, through which he made many friendships. Through his leadership and the dedication of his staff, raised the annual revenue from 15k to over 450K a year during his tenure.

He met his lovely bride years at the Redman's dance hall in Portland, ME. She picked him for a "ladies choice" dance and they stayed together for 67 years. They raised their children in the Philippines and the great state of Maine and, in 1999, moved to Las Vegas. As a hobby, he ran several bowling leagues at the SunCoast Casino bowling center until his passing. To say he was an avid bowler would be an understatement. He served in numerous leagues as president, vice president, or treasurer. He amassed personal records of high 800 series and a few games with a perfect score of 300. Bill had many plaques, trophies and 300 game rings. His teams won many league championships, the last being the summer league of 2024 with teammates Bud Bouten, Pat Tua son, and Bill Harvoth. In addition to his bowling prowess, he was also a skilled poker player.

He is survived by his wife, Beverly; children, Ramon and wife Anne Margaret, daughters in law Kathy and

Francois, Daniel (Dan), and Antonio (Tony) and wife Doreen; his grandchildren, Johnathan, Benjamin (Ben), Kim berly, Peter, Angeliec, Brandon, and Marco, and great-grandchildren West on, Amber, John, and Noah, as well as his siblings, brother Gonzalo, and sis ters Nel, Cecil, Leah, and Nona. Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Ramon and Filomena, brother Avelino, daughter Deborah, and son

Ranaldo.

Many people have come to know Bill Manalus as a devoted Catholic Christian. He said you should always be humble, never judge or complain about others, and thank God for ev erything you have. He is now in the Kingdom of Heaven, with Jesus and all the saints who confessed Him as Lord and believed God raised him from the dead.

He was a loving father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. His kindness, wisdom, and sense of humor

touched the lives of everyone who knew him. He will be deeply missed by his family, his many friends, and all who had the pleasure of knowing him.

A wake will be held at the Palm Downtown Mortuary and Cemetery, 1325 N. Main Street, Las Vegas on Sunday, November 24th, from 2 to 5 PM. A funeral mass will be celebrated on Monday, November 25th, at 11:00 AM at the St Anne Elizabeth Seton Church, 1811 Pueblo Vista Drive, Las Vegas. A chapel Service with full military honors will be held on Tuesday, November 26th, 2024, at 10:40 AM at

the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 1900 Veterans Memorial Drive, Boulder City, NV.