January 22, 1933 – August 18, 2022
Wynton H. Mantell, age 89, of Friendswood, Texas passed away on Thursday August 18, 2022.
Wynn was born in Brewton, Alabama on January 22, 1933. His family moved to Mobile when he was a young boy. There he attended Murphy High School where he met and fell in love with his soulmate, Katherine Ann Jones who became his “Annie-B”. They were married in 1953 and had three sons. Wynn served in the U.S. Navy Reserve and began his Civil Service career in the 1950’s as an Electronics Technician at Brookley Air Force Base in Mobile. He joined NASA in 1962 at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, LA. In 1969 the family moved to Friendswood, Texas where he worked until retirement for NASA at the Johnson Space Center. As a Quality Assurance Specialist, Wynn proudly supported the Apollo program, including the landing of America’s first men on the moon, as well as the Skylab, Shuttle, Space Station Freedom, and International Space Station programs.
He loved sports, especially football. He was an AAU weightlifter and liked to bowl. He liked to fish with Annie-B. He loved math and would buy math books at garage sales just to work the problems. He enjoyed the theater, chess, reading, and a variety of music listened to on his prized Grundig stereo.
He was a Freemason of 50 years with the Anson Jones Masonic Lodge #1416, Friendswood.
Wynn was preceded in death by his beloved Annie-B. He is survived by his sons, Mike, Mark and Chris and their families including eight grandchildren and seventeen great-grandchildren.
Honoring his wishes, Wynton will be cremated. A Celebration of his Life will be announced at a future date.
Donations in his honor may be made to Habitat for Humanity or a charity of your choice.
“The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.” — Carl Sagan
4 thoughts on “Wynton Henton Mantell”
True Healing
There is a true view of death that is different than we usually think. It doesn’t come because of fear or guilt or as punishment for sin. It merely signifies the end has come for the usefulness of the body. And so, it is finally retired as a choice, as one lays aside a garment now outworn.
True Healing is the form in which death comes when it is time to rest a while from labor gladly done and gladly ended. Now we go in peace to freer air and gentler climate, where it is not hard to see the gifts that were saved for us.
Christ is clearer now; His vision more sustained in us; His Voice, the Word of God, more certainly our own. Now fearful dreams are dispelled in quiet rest. Now forgiveness comes to heal the world and it is ready to depart in peace, the journey over and the lessons learned.
And this is what death should be; a quiet choice, made joyfully and with a sense of peace, because the body has been kindly used to help the Child of God along the way to God. So, we thank the body, then, for all the service it has given us. And we are thankful that the need is done to walk in this world of limits and to only see Christ in hidden forms seen at most in lovely flashes. Now we can behold Him without blinders, in the light that we have learned to look upon again.
At last, the gate of Heaven opens, and God's Child is free to enter in the home that stands ready to welcome him and was prepared before time.
(From ACIM – Song of Prayer)
I love you, Dad. Rest in joyful peace with Mom.
Mike
My sincere condolences to Chris, Debbie and the family.
My Father Wynton H. Mantell, was a strong man with a vision of what education can provide. Dad was a God fearing man, he was a Paitent man with goodwill to all .
He balanced his life with mathematics. He also was mechanical and to a great degree at that.
He taught me many wonderful things about life . He came from great poverty to become one of NASA's most respected employees.
I love you Daddy
I'll never fill the void In my heart
We all loved wynton grandpa whatever you may have called him we shall remember him in our hearts for the rest of our lives we love you grandpa.