Peter Manfred Harringer

On June 11, 2018, our father, grandfather, friend and companion passed away at Doctors Medical Center in Modesto, California.  He died as he requested, with dignity, surrounded by his family and the people he loved and who loved him.

Peter was born in Breslau, Germany. He was given up for adoption and lived with multiple foster families, but primarily in the Bittner household.  At age 7, as WWII progressed, he was sent to new foster families in Berlin. He was eventually sent to Theresienstadt in 1943, a concentration camp in northern Czechoslovakia.  He survived 27 months, until freed by the Russian Army as they marched west.

At the end of the war, he was sent to England where he finished high school while living in a foster home in Denham.  After school, he worked in London for a few years before returning to Germany where he lived until 1959, when he immigrated to the USA with 2 suitcases to his name.  He moved to Los Angeles, and lived there until settling into the Central Valley around 1962.  He spent the majority of his life in and around Modesto.

Peter always worked hard, as a lumberjack, a bank teller, a car salesman before finally settling in as a factory worker.  He spent most of his career at Carnation (later Silgan) Can, wearing many hats during his years there and retired in 1996.  His true passion was photography.  He could be found all over the Valley shooting photos of everything, but he especially loved to take pictures of his two boys, Todd and Matthew.  In the late 70’s, he started photographing weddings and had his own company, Images by Manfred. He continued to work as a photographer through the early 2000s.

Peter loved his clubs, and was a member of many different organizations. Old Fisherman’s Club, E Clampus Vitus #58, Sons of Hermann, and Elks were all on his rotation. He was an avid bowler, bowling in multiple leagues around Modesto, and traveled representing the Modesto Elks Lodge for many years. Peter, Todd and Matthew would spend their Sundays driving to the different lanes and lodges, bowling and eating around the Central Valley.  He travelled voraciously, visiting Australia, Norway, Denmark, Poland, France, Austria, Italy, China, and Jamaica. For his 80th birthday he went to Hawaii for the first time with his sons and grandsons.

He left Modesto in 2004, settling into Sequim, Washington. He made friends and stayed busy, but he kept returning to Modesto two times a year for club meetings and to see his son, grandsons and friends.  Finally, in 2013, he moved to Oakdale, where he resided until his death.

Peter is survived by his children; Todd (Autumn) Harringer of Denair, CA; Matthew (Pamela) Harringer, of Anchorage, AK; his grandchildren Dane and Josh Harringer; and companion Waan Whitaker. Peter also found a previously unknown son in 2017, Sean Kimble. They were unable to meet prior to Peter’s death, but Peter would have been pleased to welcome him, wife Stacey and granddaughters Emma, Grace, and Lilly into our family.

A viewing will be held at Franklin & Downs Funeral Home, 1050 McHenry Ave, on Tuesday, 6/19 between 2pm and 5 pm.  A graveside service will take place at Lakewood Memorial, 900 Santa Fe Ave, on Wednesday, 6/20 at 10am, followed by a Celebration of Life at 11am at the Fruit Yard, 7948 Yosemite Blvd.  The family would especially like to thank the amazing staff at Doctors Medical Center’s CCU who cared for Peter so compassionately during the end of his life.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.