Daria Lucrezia Dowling Manning passed away Saturday, October 13, 2018 at her home in Fairview, Texas surrounded by her loving family. She was born in Gzira, Malta on March 14, 1950; Daria was one of seven children. The daughter of Emmanuel and Jean Dowling, Daria grew up swimming competitively and as an older teen modeled, appearing in print and television advertisements. In 1971, she met Ross Manning, an Army officer from Oregon stationed on Malta. They married shortly after on the island on September 5th of that year before relocating to Naples, Italy. Daria and Ross moved to the United States in 1972 where they settled to raise their family. They had Brooke Holden in 1978 in Newport Beach, California and Lauren Ashley in Houston, Texas in 1983.
Though Daria spent much of her life as a loving mother, wife and homemaker, she also had a very successful retail career. Immediately upon arriving in America, Daria began work at the specialty-clothing store I. Magnin in San Francisco. She was accepted in the Federated Department Store’s Executive Training Program, becoming an Assistant Buyer and went on to senior level retail positions with prestigious retailers, including as Division Manager in I. Magnin’s Wilshire Boulevard store and Director of Saks Fifth Avenue’s personal shopping in Orange County, California.
Daria’s success in her retail career was in large part due to the great care she took in making people feel special. She enjoyed cooking for friends and family, sharing flowers from her carefully maintained gardens and participating in bunco evenings with neighbors. Daria had an open door policy wherever she and Ross resided; people were always welcome for last minute visits or meals, resulting in a home constantly filled with visitors and houseguests from near and far.
Speaking three languages fluently and two conversationally, she and Ross traveled the world extensively throughout their 47 years of marriage. Daria made regular trips with Brooke and Lauren to Malta where she shared with them her Mediterranean heritage, family and friends.
In 2016, Daria and Ross retired to Heritage Ranch in Fairview, Texas. Daria loved her new community and the special friendships she quickly developed there while participating in its many clubs and activities.
Daria deeply loved her sons-in-law, Shane Chambers and John Thomas Mezick. Her lifelong dream of being a grandmother, a role she relished, was realized in the births of Colin and Brynn Chambers and Cole Mezick.
Ross would like to thank the doctors, nurses and caregivers at Baylor Medical Center’s T. Boone Pickens Cancer Hospital, Texas Oncology, and VNA Hospice who so lovingly cared for Daria.
A memorial service for Daria will be held at 4:00 p.m., Saturday, November 3, 2018 at Turrentine Jackson Morrow Funeral Home Chapel, 2525 Central Expressway North, Allen, Texas.
During Daria’s illness with cancer, she often spoke of the courage of pediatric cancer patients. Memorials may be made to the Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research.