Amanda J. Manuel, 38, of Lancaster, PA, passed away peacefully at home with her parents on Saturday, March 5th, 2022. Amanda, or Mandy, or Chic, was a simple carefree girl. She found joy in the simple things in life. A cup she got as a gift sparked 20 minutes of celebration about it. Back in the day playing Nintendo she finally beat the game Kirby and was elated about it. She recently got a Tamagotchi game for Christmas and she had to post to social media about it. On the family annual campout, she loved playing LCR (dice game) and always wanted her family and friends to play Apples to Apples at get-togethers. She loved to read and the Goosebumps books were her favorite. She always did like scary books and movies.

As a child she would try lots of things and her parents and grandparents were there to watch, going to many of her events, mostly at school. While at McCaskey she settled on band and played the clarinet in the marching band, where Dad got drafted into the band parent brigade. Before McCaskey she went to Price Elementary, and Wheatland Middle School, all in the School District of Lancaster.

Shortly after high school she met Jason Manuel and was married in 2003. Their first child, Christopher, was a ball of energy and kept her moving. Their second child, Carter, required a lengthy stay at Hershey Medical Center, where Mandy often stayed overnight. Carter requires constant care for which his parents and Jason's fiancée Kelly have done a fantastic job. Carter was her special love and Mandy always had a soft spot for him. She would sit and watch videos with him for hours. Later Mandy and Jason would go their separate ways but have remained friends.

Mandy worked various jobs after high school, and after her marriage, mostly in retail. She was always concerned for her fellow workers and customers. After her marriage she lived at home until she met her next love, Jim. Mandy and Jim hit it off and she would spend her time between her parents and his house. Jim didn't hesitate to be part of the family. Even when Mandy had her two sons over, she would watch them at his house. They were happy together. Recently Jim started to help her make doctor appointments and take her there which was a great help for her. A trip she loved was when they both went to her brother's wedding in the Outer Banks. It was great to have them there and they both had a great time just getting away.

Amanda had Muscular Dystrophy which had just recently worsened. She was making progress and things were looking good, but the Lord had other plans. While watching a movie with her brother Ryan's children and her dad, she took her final nap. Although the end wasn't easy for the family to see, Mandy had just had a fun night watching a movie with her niece and nephew and even commented about how when she was a child, the kids would pretend to be the characters in the Peanuts cartoon. Mandy will be missed by her family for all the fun and quirky things she would do. She has friends with her in heaven where they are having a big campfire and laughing and sharing stories.

Amanda, born April 23rd, 1983 in Lancaster, is survived by her children Christopher and Carter Manuel of Ephrata; her parents, Matthew and Cynthia Stewart, brother Ryan Stewart and his three children, Nevaeh, Cassidy, and Ryan Jr., all of Lancaster; brother Travis Stewart and wife Alyssa Palumbo, of Manheim; her partner, James Griffin, of Mt. Joy, and her circle of friends all over.

From Mom and Dad: Too soon our dear daughter! Someday we will reunite with you, until then we love you with all our heart.

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend a viewing to be held at the Charles F. Snyder Funeral Home & Crematory, 414 E. King Street, Lancaster, PA on Tuesday evening, March 15, 2022 from 5 to 7PM, with a memorial service at 7PM. Contributions may be made in Mandy's memory to the Muscular Dystrophy Association at MDA.org, or 1861 Charter Ln, Unit 115, Lancaster, PA 17601.