PALMER RAPIDS – Never let life get you down no matter what circumstances life throws at you. Peacefully but unexpectedly, Palmer Rapids lost a dear and vibrant member of the community on April 29. Raymond Mantifel will be remembered for many things: For being a family man, for his interest in everyone, for always having a story to tell, for his love of antique cars, for being an encyclopaedia of knowledge. But perhaps what was most special about him and his 77 years on this earth was his prevailing sense of humour. Never known to complain, he shared this gift daily with all he crossed paths with. Always ready with a joke he loved to tease, and his mission was to leave you with a smile or a laugh. He is survived by his wife Marion, son Rodger, daughter Lisa, son-in-law Colin Kargus, and two grandchildren, Nolan and Kai and sister Melody Barton. He is predeceased by his brother Stuart. Marion said he had a rare stroke that affected the involuntary muscles, so it didn’t show up until the end. “What a way to go, without suffering,” Marion said. Raymond Lyle was born in Timmins, Ontario, to parents Fenny Mantifel and Ellen Jean MacPherson. When his dad Fenny was called to serve in the Second World War, the family moved back to Palmer Rapids. In the late 1940s, his parents built and operated the first Palmer Rapids store, known today as Hannah’s Foodmart, but originally known as Mantifel’s General Store. Around the same time Raymond’s Uncle, Willis Mantifel, founded Mantifel’s Garage in Palmer Rapids. This Auto Repair Shop is known today as Autotec Industries. Pick up a copy of the May 16, 2018 paper to read the full story.