Noel M Manchester

Noel M. Manchester, age 97, of Williams, died Thursday, October 25, 2012 at Rogue Regional Medical Center.

A viewing will be from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday, October 29, 2012 at Hull & Hull Funeral Directors.

A funeral service will be at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, October 30, 2012 at Hull & Hull Chapel. Interment will be at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, California.

Noel was born May 25, 1915 in Arlington, Iowa to Charles & Irma Manchester. In 1933 he graduated from Arlington, Iowa High School and then attended Upper Iowa University. In the early 1930s during the depression his family moved from Iowa to Southern California. On December 8, 1940 in Las Vegas, Nevada he married, Margaret Lembka. During World War II, Noel served in the United States Army Air Corps. In 1940 he started working with the Los Angeles Fire Department and retired in 1969 as Battalion Chief and was instrumental in the formation of the air operations arm of the fire department. At one point in time, he was in charge of the battalion that included Hollywood and Universal City. In 1978 he moved from California to Williams, Oregon.

Noel was the first president of the Temple City, California Little League and was a past leader with the Boy Scouts of America in Los Angeles County.

Noel especially loved farming including cattle and guinea and buff orpington chickens.

Survivors include two sons, Steve Manchester of San Jose, California and Bruce Manchester of Eugene, Oregon; three granddaughters; and four great-grandchildren.