Olga Manners, 95, of Maris Grove, Glen Mills, PA, died peacefully in her home, surrounded by her five children, on August 22, 2024. Olga was born in Philadelphia in 1929. She attended John Bartram High School, where she was senior class president and a member of the color guard. She is predeceased by her husband, Alex D. Manners, her high school sweetheart. They were married for 65 years and resided in North Hills, Wilmington, DE. for 42 years. They moved to Foxfield, Garnet Valley, PA in 2004, where she and Alex developed lifelong friendships. They also enjoyed their winter residence in Palm Beach, FL. After Alex’s death, Olga moved to Maris Grove, in Glen Mills, PA in 2017, where she lived happily until her death.
Olga was a stay-at-home mother until 1967, when she began her career as a Realtor at Jacques Jacobs Real Estate in Wilmington, purchasing the brokerage in 1973. Olga and Alex merged their business with Patterson Schwartz Real Estate in 1980, where Olga worked as a broker and the company training director. In 1985, she was named manager of the Patterson Schwartz PA office and president of Patterson Schwartz of PA. and was the company’s first woman manager. She was successful and highly regarded in the real estate community.
After her retirement from real estate, Olga began to paint as a hobby. She took lessons and engaged with other artists to develop her craft. She was a prolific and talented artist, working in many mediums, but especially water color. She met weekly with a group of six women artists for years, where she developed lasting friendships.
Olga was beloved and revered by her friends and family as a person of warmth, strength, integrity, and good humor. She was an inspiration to all and a friend to many.
Olga was a past member of the New Castle County Board of Realtors and Tri-County Suburban Realtors. She was a longtime member of the Wilmington Country Club.
Besides her husband, Olga was predeceased by her mother, Eleanor Thompson Shields, her father, Karl Oskar Gren, and her stepmother, Grace Gren. She is survived by her five children: Denise Manners Miscavage (Richard); Judith Manners (Dan Raspanti); Susan Manners (Elizabeth Evans); Alex Manners; Kristina Manners, grandchildren: Jeffrey Castellano (Monica); Laura Richards (Jeffrey); Karyn Robinson (Bernard); Jacob Oberman; Isaiah Miscavage; Marissa Miscavage; Fran Hodgins (Sean Bjornsson), great-grandchildren: Eloise and Juniper Castellano; Grace and Benjamin Richards, Ella and Wyatt Robinson, and Wren Bjornsson. She also leaves her dear friend of nearly 60 years, Mary Laskaris.
A celebration of life will be held for Olga on Saturday, September 7, at 11:00 am at Westminster Presbyterian Church at 1502 West 13th Street, Wilmington, DE 19806.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society or Planned Parenthood are requested
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