Chad MANLEY

December 28, 1971 - August 5, 2025

Spokane - On August 5, 2025, Chad Mathew Manley died from Glioblastoma at the age of 53.

The son of James and Melissa Manley, and the younger brother to Shannon Manley, Chad grew up in Jeromesville, Ohio, where he attended Hillsdale High School and later graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in History. At the age of 7, Chad picked up a guitar and fell head over heels in love. He became a living, breathing music encyclopedia, and while he was an avid fan of all music, he focused with particular interest on classic and indie rock. Chad went on to have a happy marriage of nearly 24 years, but his first and most enduring love affair was always with those six strings.

In 2000, at the age of 28, Chad left country life behind to try his hand at serving in the United States Air Force. He trained on the KC-135 Stratotanker as a Communication Navigation Specialist and was subsequently stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base, near Spokane, Washington. Though his intent was only to serve four years, Chad soon met his future wife, Elena Manley (formerly Dowling), a fellow servicemember, and his commitment both to her and to the military grew side by side. An honorable career filled with hard work, treasured experiences, long-lasting friendships, and many sacrifices came to a close when in 2020, Chad retired at the age of 48 as a Master Sergeant in the Washington Air National Guard. He then entered the private sector as an electrician for Wagstaff, Inc. In November of 2022, he was asked to perform at a company event, the introduction to AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" to mark the achievement of record sales. The following year, Chad was promoted to Quality Assurance.

In 2024, Chad's cancer diagnosis abruptly ended a 40-year career defined by discipline and humor. While cancer may have caused Chad's death, it never defined his life. He spent his final year focused on creating good memories with his wife, reaching out to old friends, listening to birds sing, and stopping to smell the roses, even as he attended daily radiation treatments. To quote Chad: "I'm not dying, I'm finally living."

At the end, Chad found peace in hearing the Psalms and Immortal Poems read to him by his wife. Chad was a man of lyrics and melody, of hard work and sacrifice, and of wit and kindness. His ability to quietly articulate insight into the heart of the human experience through a quick-witted observation touched friends and strangers alike. Chad Manley led a life well lived, and he leaves behind both a legacy of enduring integrity and a continuing ache in the hearts of all who loved him. He is, and will be, profoundly missed.

Donations in his honor can be made to Multicare Foundations at give.multicare.org. Select "Greatest Need for Inland Northwest." Items, as well as funds, can be donated to Newby-Ginnings of North Idaho at newbyginnings.org, which is a non-profit dedicated to serving the needs of local Veterans and Gold Star Families.

A Celebration of Life is planned for Saturday afternoon, September 20, 2025, at the Washington Air National Guard Hangar, Fairchild AFB, WA. His remains will be scattered in the Redwood National Park, California.