ManfredStolteMunoz

Manny Stolte Munoz

Manfred Stolte was born on July 9, 1957
in Bremerhaven, Germany. He lived
many hardships in his life. He was
brought up by, probably his greatest
love of all, his Grandmother. His father
was an alcoholic and his mother having
given birth didn't want anything to do
with him and left him in a babies bundle
at a laundromat. When his Granny
couldn't take care of him do to ill health
there was no other choice but his
fathers sister, Jennie Stolte. He came to
America with his Aunt when he was
only 8 years old. Jennie's husbands
name was Armando Munoz, the only
father he ever new and that cared for
him, not only leaving his surname by
adoption but had the love of a father to
a son. They lived in Union City, New
Jersey where he was brought up and
went through the school system. When
he was about 12 years old he was hit by
a automobile and was almost paralyed
and had a full body cast. His life was
tuff and with long blonde hair and blue
eyes, he looked like a Viking God. He
could speak a couple languages
proficiently and having an extradinary
personality could light up a room not
only with his charm but his knowledge
of music, sports and most of all his
JOKES which were always the funniest
when he told them. His passion for
sports was only matched by his
knowledge of the game which made him
a better athlete then most. His hand and
eye coordination was simply
phenomenal and he could of played in
any sport if he had that passion and
drive. His best game was basketball and
seeing him dribble was art in itself. His
long flowing hair and his bright white
skin left the opponent off balanced and
demoralized. For you see deception was
all in their minds, not Manny's. He
could dribble a basketball better then
Michael Jordan and had the softest
hands and one of the quickest releases
you ever saw. He could shoot easily
right or left handed and had one of the
best fade away jumpers. The sad part
was his mother woundn't let him play
high school sports but that didn't stop
him from playing in the summer leagues
and county championships. He went to
Union Hill High School where his idol
legend Nick Galis went, regarded as one
of Europe's all-time greats in basketball
and is considered by many Greeks the
biggest athlete the country ever known.
Manny was also one of the greatest pool
players I ever saw, unbelievable but
true. When he was in the U.S. Navy he
won the pool tournament and also had
the nickname of ROCKY taking on a
bully and talking him down with that
Hudson County toughness. He served
four years on board the U.S.S. Santa
Barbara with his childhood friend
Danny Dennehy. His adopted father
Armando, died in 1979 leaving another
crushing event in his life. But before
all that happened, he had met the new
love of his life, her name was
Michele Marguerite Speciale. They met
at a carnival in North Bergen, New
Jersey, it was love at first site and there
was no doubt about it he finally had
what he was looking for his whole life,
which was the missing piece to the
puzzle. That piece was the mother who
abandoned him after giving birth. It
was his belief that this woman who
would become his wife and mother of
their three children was in his heart and
mind, his Soul-Mate for Eternity. He
had inherited that disease that destroys
all families, whether rich, poor or
famous. He left the end of this world
without conquering those demons and
suffered more than any man I ever
knew. If he left a legacy it's that when
he was good, he was really good. He
never truly hurt anyone. To have a
illness is not a crime, it might be a
tragedy but most certainly it is not a
crime. He wasn't the greatest husband,
father, brother-in-law and never had
the shot to be the greatest son. But this
man, born Manfred Stolte had two
strikes against him and who of us, born
with one strike never mind two. In the
end it was difficult to see him in all that
pain and if there is a God, may his Soul
soar like a shooting star, like a diamond
in the sky.