Marlene J. Chretien Manelski Minshall

SEATTLE, Wash. – Marlene J. Chretien Manelski Minshall of Lewiston, Maine, and McLean, Va., died on March 1, 2022, in Seattle, Wash., close to her only son, David. Marlene was born on April 22, 1936. She was the eldest of three children of Frank and Louise Tremblay Chretien. She was a graduate of Lewiston High School in 1953 with honors and attended Auburn, Maine School of Commerce. She worked for the Lewiston Police Department as private secretary to the police chief and Berman & Berman Law Firm. She moved to the Washington, D.C. area in 1961 to pursue her career, which included positions as an Administrative Assistant to lawyers, directors of trade associations and finally National Housing Partnership, a quasi-government company.Marlene married Joseph A. Manelski in 1971 and she and her husband founded American Realty Tax Services in 1974 in the same year they gave birth to their son David J. She was the chief financial and administrative officer for these corporations, which expanded to branches nationwide before they sold the company in 1997. She was very proud of giving back to her love of Maine and in 1997-1998 she along with her brother Paul Chretien, sister Faye Brickel and her husband Bob, started construction in Belfast Maine on Crosby Manor Estates, an oceanfront upscale community. The family resided in McLean, Va., and spent many summers at Sea Colony in Bethany Beach, Delaware, and back home to Maine as often as she could. Marlene was a world traveler, great friend to so many, and host to family and community at every special occasion. She was a third term President of the board of the McLean Orchestra and served on the board of directors for the Maine State Society Scholarship Foundation and Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services Inc. She was a member of the Maine State Society for 35 years. Marlene was very generous by nature and put many children through college, helped many relatives through tough times, always paying it forward.In 1999 she bought a summer home in Maine at Seascape in Old Orchard Beach where she spent her days overseeing her real estate development, entertaining, reading, walking the seven-mile beach. In 2007, she married Dennis Minshall and in 2016 they moved to Seattle to be close to her son David. Marlene is survived by her son David Manelski, wife Suzanne, grandchildren Alex and Marie; her sister and best friend Faye Brickel and husband Bob; her husband Dennis Minshall and family of Texas; former husband Joseph Manelski of McLean, Va.; nephew Marc and wife Vania; sisters-in-law Caroline of Setauket N.Y.; Theresa Beam of McLean, Va., Mary Ann Manelski, Coran, N.Y., and many nephews, nieces and cousins. A celebration of life will be held in Maine late spring.