Molly Catherine (Malone) Mannenbach

Molly Catherine Mannenbach (Malone) slipped peacefully from this world in the early hours of  May 28,  2026 . She leaves a long legacy of educating little ones, sharing with many the art of Irish Dance and deep friendships.  

She  lived the majority of her life in North Portland. Born September 23, 1963, the daughter of James and Sally , she  attended Holy Redeemer School, St Mary’s Academy and the University of Portland from which she graduated with a degree in elementary education (’85).  In her 30+ years as a kindergarten teacher she educated her precious students at All Saints School, Holy Redeemer, St Joseph’s Vancouver, The Cathedral School and finished her career at St Rose of Lima. She was very proud of starting the Kindergarten program at HR. She married the love of her life, John Mannenbach in the spring  of 1986 (a raucous celebration it was) and is the mother of Christopher and Ian Mannenbach. They were extremely proud of the two large families that supported them and they in return. She also was godmother to numerous family members.

Her path in Irish dance started at the age of 4 and she excelled in the art form. St Patrick’s Day became a family holiday as her family followed her and the troupe around town as she performed. Happiest among them was her father who claimed St Pat’s his favorite holiday courtesy of his daughter. She started the Molly Malone School of Irish Dance not long after she graduated and ran classes for all levels for many years. It was one of her great joys to find another student who could maneuver the reel and the jig. In her youth she was a top competitor at many a feis (Irish Dance Festival), later hosting a yearly competition in Portland. She taught both Chris and Ian to dance and beamed at their success.  Both qualified for the  national championships  several times and Ian becoming a world championship qualifier which they attended in Dublin.

She was lucky to have a small group of extremely loyal friends from her earliest school days. They stayed true through thick and thin celebrating and consoling through all the ups and downs their lives brought. Lucky is the person with more than one true friend it is said!

She is preceded in death by her parents, brothers Robert and David and sister Mary. She is survived by her sons and brothers Mike, Dan (Robin) and Paul (Amy).

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests making a donation to Holy Redeemer School , 127 N Rosa Parks, PDX 97217.

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