Ronald Eugene Manthey's Obituary
Ronald E. Manthey died peacefully, surrounded by family and loved ones, January 22, 2025, at Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas following a sudden illness due to a pulmonary embolism.
Ron is survived by his loving wife, Donna Manthey, daughter, Katharine Manthey, daughter, Alison Manthey Acuy, son-in-law Victor Acuy, and granddaughters, Olivia Acuy and Ella Acuy. He is also survived by Mandy Smith, honorary member of the Manthey family, sister, Lin Schraeder, brothers, Don Manthey and Dave Manthey, as well as numerous in-laws, nieces, nephews and extended family members.
Ron was born June 28, 1954, at Fort Bragg, NC. His father was a career member of the U.S. Air Force. While growing up, Ron lived with his family at many duty stations in the United States and overseas, including Helsinki, Finland, Taipei, Taiwan, and Moscow, USSR.
Ron met Donna Lewis in high school in Gulfport, MS, in 1971, and they were married in 1976. Ron and Donna were blessed by the birth of their daughter, Katharine, in 1986 and devoted themselves to loving, selfless, lifetime care of Katharine and her special needs. In 1990, Ron and Donna welcomed daughter, Alison, who was the apple of Ron’s eye.
Ron graduated in 1976 from the University of Southern Mississippi with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1979. Following law school, Ron served four years as an officer in the JAG Corps of the U.S. Air Force and was stationed at Strategic Air Command Headquarters in Bellevue, Nebraska.
Ron and Donna moved to Dallas in 1983 when Ron joined Jenkens & Gilchrist. He practiced labor and employment law for more than 35 years in downtown Dallas. His practice was national in scope, representing numerous Fortune 500 companies in federal and state courts across the country.
In addition to Jenkens & Gilchrist, Ron was a partner in Littler Mendelson, Baker McKenzie and Morgan Lewis. He served at Morgan Lewis as chair of the Labor and Employment Practice in Dallas and co-chair of the firm’s national Noncompete and Trade Secrets Practice. Ron typically represented employers in class actions and other complex litigation involving national and state-wide claims of sex, age, race, pregnancy, and national origin claims. He also litigated and tried numerous FLSA collective actions and state wage and hour class actions.
Widely regarded for his employment law counsel, Ron also was an accomplished trial lawyer. He tried nearly 30 employment law jury and bench trials in federal and state courts across the country, including many involving FLSA collective actions and state wage and hour class actions. Ron argued before numerous courts of appeals, both federal and state. Ron was also known for his expertise in workplace electronic privacy and disability law.
In one notable adventure while pursuing a case in the Philippines in 1989, Ron had to shelter in place for several days in a hotel in Manilla when a notorious coup attempt erupted against President Corazon Aquino. Always confident and decisive, Ron was never more so than when he bravely walked across a virtual no-man’s land during the uprising in order for he and a colleague to escape and return home safely, which was reported by a local Dallas television station.
Ron was more pleasantly in the news in 2015, after appearing in the U.S. Supreme Court when argument was presented in one of his cases. Ron won that case, a career achievement reached by few lawyers. Texas Lawyer described it as a “game-changing victory” in labor-management relations law.
Following his retirement from Morgan Lewis in 2018, Ron provided consulting services on executive compensation to public and private companies and offered his skills as a lawyer pro bono, including helping inmates seeking better conditions in federal prison during the COVID pandemic.
In addition to staying active with family and friends, Ron enjoyed bicycling, tennis and, lately, pickleball. He closely followed college and professional basketball, attending the NCAA regional tournament in Dallas and enjoying season tickets with Donna to the Dallas Mavericks for many years.
A memorial in honor of Ron will be held at Episcopal Church of the Ascension, 8787 Greenville Ave., Dallas, at 3 p.m. Saturday, January 25. A reception will follow immediately in the fellowship hall after the service. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in memory of Ron to Holy Angels, 10450 Ellerbe Road, Shreveport, LA, 71106, a residential facility for individuals with disabilities where his daughter Katharine resides. (https://www.laholyangels.org/donate/).
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