Anita Dawn Mancini
November 10, 1967 – January 26, 2026

It does not matter what day, month or year that I have gone to my Father’s house, I would not regret this life, not even a day, with my family and loved ones. My moments have been filled with the love and devotion of my children, the blessings of my grandchildren, the peace and comfort that comes from the true love of my husband and the laughter and security I shared with my friends. Please don’t cry for me. Celebrate the passionate life I have lived. Love Life, Be Brave, Anita

Anita Mancini was a passionate woman with a heart for a beautiful paint horse, an irrational fear of snakes and deeply rooted love for her family. She had a mechanical mind that wandered to many passions.

Anita’s life began in a snowstorm in Leadville, Colorado on November 10,1967.
As a young child, Anita was a forest explorer and tree-climber, ascending high into the pines in the densely populated wilderness of East Texas. She was always in search of the perfect view with her equally outdoor-obsessed brothers. In their youth, Anita and her older brother Bobby would literally spend their days finding ways to torment her younger brother Danny, but as an adult Danny was her greatest friend and strongest supporter. She spoke to him daily and she prayed for him constantly.

Anita was the “sociable” one. It would prove to be her superpower. At a young age she was well regarded for her mouth, never, and I mean ever, holding back her opinion.
She possessed a knack for telling it like it was and she always told you the truth even if it wasn’t what you wanted to hear. Her extensive vocabulary was highly proficient and scattered with curse words. She prayed about this often.

At the age of 16, she fell in love with most most beautiful, brown eyed little girl and her life took on purpose and meaning. Besides her adventures with her brothers, her childhood and life seemed useless until God gifted her with her daughter April. As an unanswered prayer, she gave birth to her son Michael at age 21 and the difficult times in her life changed to the happiest, being their mom. She prayed for them fervently.

She met Gary when she was 22, and when she was 27, she married him in her handmade dress on July 15, 1994. The bond they shared lasted a lifetime. He was her riend and confidant and he allowed her to shine in his presence. They spent their time living and working together harmoniously, as long as he always admitted he was in the wrong. Her love for him was like her love of chocolate ... eternal. She prayed for him endlessly.

Her 7 grandkids, and 2 great-grandkids, are like the icing and cherry on top of the cupcake. She treasured the times she spent with each of them and sometimes all of them together. They are each one, so individual and so cherished. Those moments were like perfection. She prayed for them with gratitude.

Anita filled her life with ever-dirty, hair covered cowgirls and agreeable horses. She found a role as a mentor and she embraced it as one only second to her role as mom.

Her life, in it’s entirety was steadfast and encouraging to young people. She whispered to the animals that consumed her life. She loved the wet, nose kisses and warm snuggles of her dogs. She felt free on the back of a horse, painted, of course. She prayed for both the children and the animals passionately.

She continued to cherish the warm embrace of her truest friends, Linda, Charlotte, Cathy and Susan. They offered her comfort whenever they surrounded her with conversation and laughter. She never stopped absorbing their love and she returned i in kind. She prayed for them frequently.

She lived in Katy, Texas for the better years of her life and she loved this community openly. She volunteered in many organizations, always with a desire to bring a better future to the those around her. She prayed for her community steadfast.

Probably one of the most important things she would want anybody to know about her is that she loved God. She could never quite understand how He could send his Son to die on a cross for her sins, but she knew He did. She considered herself unworthy and inadequate. She prayed about this almost daily.

On Monday, January 26, 2026, Anita kicked off her boots, shed her earthly pain and made a graceful exit, surrounded by the love she had nurtured all her life.
Today and forever, she runs free.

Full-service information will be announced at a later date and made available at Schmidtfuneralhome.net