A Mass of Christian Burial for Dr. Mike Manuel will be held at 10:00 AM on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at Our Lady of Prompt Succor Catholic Church with Rev. Joy Antony and Rev. Brian Seiler officiating. Interment will follow in Greenwood Memorial Park under the direction of John Kramer and Son Funeral Home.
Visitation will be held from 9:00 AM until the time of service on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at the church.
Dr. Mike Manuel, 80, of Alexandria, passed away on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at Lafayette General.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Dewey and Ida Manuel and sister, Pris Ashford and her husband, Barry.
Dr. Mike Manuel had a deep love for travel, exploring destinations across the United States, Canada, Europe, and New Zealand. He was also an avid reader and a devoted fan of LSU football. Geaux Tigers!!
He earned a B.S. degree at LSU in Baton Rouge before attending pharmacy school at the University of Houston. He later earned a medical degree from LSU Medical School in New Orleans. Dr. Manuel worked in Alexandria and Eunice as a Family Practitioner before completing a pediatric residency at LSU. His family then moved to Alexandria, where he was a pediatrician for 40 years.
He was a devout Catholic and a member of the LSU School of Medicine Committee of 100. In retirement, he found great joy in bike riding, working out at his gym, and his twice weekly walks with neighborhood friends, Jeff, Jimmy, Kim, and Susan. He was lovingly known as “Papa Mike” to his grandchildren.
Those left to cherish his memory include his wife of 58 years, Joan Guillory Manuel; two children, Dr. Nicholas Manuel and Leslie Manuel Worley and husband, Clay; two grandchildren, Gus Worley and Vivi Worley; and three nephews, Randy Ashford, Jerry Ashford, and Joey Ashford.
Pallbearers honored to serve include Dr. Nicholas Manuel, Clay Worley, Gus Worley, Jerry Ashford, Dr. Mike Guillory, Dr. Paul Guillory, and Neil Mendoza.
In lieu of flowers, consider making a donation to LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans through the LSU Health Foundation, 2000 Tulane Avenue, 4th Floor. New Orleans, LA, 70112.