St. Helena's Linda Manzer, 83, dies

ST. HELENA, Calif. – Linda Beth Manzer, 83, of St. Helena passed away on Jan. 13, 2024. She and her husband of 55 years, Norm Manzer, had lived in St. Helena since 1973.

St. Helena’s Linda Manzer

Linda was born in Oakland on Nov. 29, 1940, to George and Adelgunde (Busse) Kilner. After graduation from Oakland High School she worked for Metropolitan Life Insurance in San Francisco as well as the Pacific Telephone Co.

She and Norman Manzer were married on Dec. 28, 1968, and soon after moved to Calistoga as Norm began a new job as manager of the Napa County Fair. Linda was active in fair activities until their move in to St. Helena, where Norm opened his State Farm Insurance office.

For more than 24 years Linda and Norm were co-leaders of Grace Episcopal Church’s mission work with orphans in Russia. They made 32 trips in 24 years, operating summer camps as well as two transitional homes for teenage orphans in Russia. To support that work, she served as volunteer coordinator at the annual fundraiser, “It’s Not Your Mother’s Rummage Sale.” Linda will also be remembered for her compassion and loving kindness toward others, especially in helping at-risk children.

She was active in the St. Helena community as a past president of the St. Helena Junior Women’s Club, a 30-year member of Grace Episcopal Church, and a Rectora for Cursillo of the Redwood Empire. Linda also loved to travel to Europe, Central America and Asia, and she attended Rotary International conventions around the world.

She was a stay-at-home mom who was deeply involved in the lives of their children — Paul,  born in 1971, and Natalie, born in 1974. For the past 19 years she has cherished a close relationship with her only grandchild, Layne Griffin.

Survivors besides Norm, Paul, Natalie and Layne include her siblings, George Kilner Jr. and Barbara Kilner-Lauderdale. She was predeceased by her parents and brother, Jerry Kilner.        

A celebration of life in Linda’s honor will be held at Grace Episcopal Church in St. Helena at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24, with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers the family requests memorial donations to the Orphans & Vulnerable Children Ministry of Grace Episcopal Church, 1314 Spring St., St. Helena, 94574.

The family wishes to express their thanks and appreciation to Liliana Alcantar Peña for her caregiving and loving kindness to Linda and her family, as well as to The Cedars Care Home in Calistoga, where Linda received compassionate care in the final months of her life.