Manuel Xavier "Manny" Banuelos Jr.

Manuel “Manny” Banuelos, 29, of Phoenix, Arizona, passed away peacefully on September 7, 2026.

An Arizona native, Manny was a deeply curious, creative, and self-reflective soul who believed that life was meant to be experienced fully. He had a strong philosophy around growth, gratitude, purpose, questioning things, staying open-minded, and becoming the fullest version of yourself. He was inquisitive by nature, constantly searching for knowledge, new perspectives, and a deeper understanding of himself and the world around him.

Manny was genuine and sincere in the way he approached people and the world around him, while remaining authentic to who he was and what mattered to him. He was ambitious about becoming the best version of himself and explorative in the way he experienced life, always looking for opportunities to learn, grow, create, and discover something new.

With a camera in his hands, he loved capturing the beauty and fleetingness of everyday moments; with a video game in front of him, he could disappear into another world, especially when sharing it with friends. He found great meaning in both creating and experiencing—whether through photography, videography, art, exploration, conversation, or the simple laughter of being with people he loved.

He believed in being true to himself and living life on his own terms while always making room for the people and things he cared about. Manny believed in leaving no stone unturned and wanted to experience as much of life as possible. He often said that we are all here for a reason, and that we owe it to ourselves to discover that reason and purpose.

Our beloved Manny carried a genuine kindness toward everyone he encountered, whether they recognized it or not. He had a natural way of acknowledging and making others feel seen, and his compassion extended beyond people—to animals, plants, and all forms of life around him. He cared deeply for the world he was part of and held a special reverence for Mother Earth. He had a generous and magnanimous spirit, freely sharing his time, ideas, encouragement, and care with those around him.

He was passionate about becoming the best version of himself, not because he believed in perfection, but because he believed in growth. He spent much of his life learning how to understand himself, love himself, and live more authentically despite the internal battles he faced with anxiety, sleep, and neurodivergence. His room became a reflection of that journey—filled with pages of his thoughts, lessons, quotes on his walls, reminders, and words of encouragement that he wrote for himself.

Manny believed in being grateful for the simple privilege of being alive—for the ability to grow, to learn, to explore, to create, and to become. In his words:

“I am appreciating every breathing moment and every emotion. Whether it’s a good or bad emotion I’m just thankful I can feel it.”

“If you’re not grateful for what you have, you won’t be grateful even if you have more, so be grateful for what you have while you strive for more!! Inspire, inspire, inspire!”

He wanted to inspire people. Through his photography and videos, he hoped to evoke something in others—to make them pause, feel, think differently, connect, or simply experience something real.

Manny was always eager to experience different cultures, try new things, and understand the world around him. One of his greatest drives was to help as many people as he could, in as many ways as possible. He wrote often about wanting to help people “feel that they are okay being exactly who they are,” and to feel more comfortable in their own skin. He understood what it felt like to be judged and picked on growing up, and he wanted others to know that they were worthy of being themselves.

During his childhood, he went by “Lil Manny,” distinguishing him from the generations of Manuels before him. Manny played baseball and soccer, from little league through his school teams, and always had a golf set of his own, built over the years by his grandfather. He was so excited to become a big brother and took that role to heart when his siblings were born.

During high school, he was a member of the baseball, football, and swim teams, becoming more disciplined and developing a lasting appreciation for physical activity and the gym. Of the sports he played, baseball was his favorite.

During his junior year, Manny enrolled in French class and joined the Foreign Language Club. The club led him to travel to Europe with a favorite teacher and other students. While his fellow classmates were homesick, Manny’s teacher shared that he was the only one who wanted to stay longer because he was having such a great time. A new love and appreciation for travel was born and would stay with him throughout his life.

At age 18, in 2016, Manny began his first job at UPS while also beginning a degree at Arizona State University. A union member, he continued working at UPS, put school on hold, and ultimately worked his way up to becoming a trusted UPS driver.

During his years at UPS, Manny traveled across the country to visit friends he had made in college and through his gaming groups. He was often appreciated for his strong work ethic and excellent driving record, and he remained with UPS for nearly 10 years. He was even awarded the “UPS Beast at Driving” belt one year by his peers.

In 2018, Manny bought a Camaro on his own, beginning a new chapter in his love for cars. Later, in 2021, he bought a Honda Civic Type R, which became one of his most prized possessions and a meaningful part of his life. It deepened his love for driving and introduced him further to the racing and drifting culture he enjoyed so much. He took great pride in his car and the experiences it gave him—from working on it and driving it to connecting with others who shared his passion.

Shortly after that, in October 2021, Manny hiked the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim—25 miles, camera in hand. Underprepared and wearing the wrong boots, he struggled through the final climb, laughing the whole way and making a dozen new friends. He finished. That was Manny: joyful, resilient, adventurous, and someone who made friends of strangers.

In 2024, Manny traveled through Italy with his family for 12 days. He loved the experience of driving everyone around a new country, taking the train places, soaking in the beautiful scenery, walking to and fro, avoiding pickpockets, talking to cab drivers, and experiencing the unique road culture there. 2024 was certainly a memorable year for him.

Throughout his time at UPS, Manny continued developing his creative interests and honing his skills with a camera. With the guidance of great mentors, he steadily grew as a photographer, videographer, and editor while making time for the creative pursuits he loved.

In 2025, Manny decided to take those passions more seriously and pursue a life that felt more fulfilling to him. He left UPS and later joined the Mortske Media team, where he filmed advertising content for local businesses. He loved being part of a talented team and enjoyed meeting clients, learning from them, and bringing ideas to life.

Manny ultimately established his own business, Apprentice Media, expanding his creative work to include special events, car meets, graduations, quinceañeras, weddings, and fashion shows. He especially enjoyed working with his Aje’les and Latino Fashion Week teams, where he was able to bring together many of the things he loved—creativity, fashion, storytelling, and connecting with people.

In addition to videography, Manny loved sharing his gaming skills and experiences through his livestreams on YouTube. He loved Marvel Rivals and could play for hours at a time. He dove headfirst into the competitive scene and made it his goal to reach Celestial rank. He achieved that goal by reaching Celestial III, placing him among the top 8% of players in the world.

He was also a longtime fan of RuneScape, a game he had played for nearly 20 years. He became highly accomplished in the game, reaching nearly the maximum level in most skills. Beyond the game itself, RuneScape was also a foundation for a few lasting friendships that remained over the years.

Manny leaves behind more than memories. He leaves behind photographs that captured moments, videos that captured pieces of his perspective, art that reflected his creativity, family bonds that encourage strength, relationships filled with adventure, love and laughter, and countless words that will continue to teach and inspire.

Much of his work and livestreams are shared online to enjoy, and his family is committed to preserving and memorializing his creative work and the platforms through which he shared it.

Manny’s light was uniquely his own. His early and unexpected passing has deeply impacted all who knew and loved him. The outpouring of love and appreciation for the kind, thoughtful, genuine, and bright young man he was continues to bring comfort and solace to his family and loved ones during this profound time of grief. A friend recently shared that the astounding support surrounding Manny’s passing is a direct reflection of the goodness he invested in and put into the world.

Manny was a wonderful and special blessing as a son and grandson, a considerate older brother, a kind-hearted and generous nephew and cousin, an adventurous and explorative godson, a sincere and genuine partner, and the reliable family member and friend with depth that we all need.

In his own way, Manny led by example. He reminded us to embrace life, remain curious, pursue the things that bring us joy, question what we are told, stay open to new perspectives, and be true to ourselves. He showed us that growth is not about perfection, but about continuing to learn, experience, create, love, and become. He shared his light generously, and his life will continue to inspire and live on in the hearts of all who knew and loved him.

Some thoughts and quotes Manny wrote in his journals include:

“Push past your limits.”

“Perfectly imperfect”

“I believe in no stone unturned. Try everything once and stay curious.”

“If you’re born, you’re chosen. God gots you—let that sink in.”

“We think we’re not good enough or not important when in reality, the world would not be the same without us. You matter more than you could ever imagine. + remember to give love.”

“Wherever you’re at in life is exactly where you’re supposed to be.

Whatever you’re going through is not by chance. We have to get through this stage to prepare for the next part of our lives. You can’t skip chapters in a book and expect to understand the whole thing.”

He is survived by his parents, Carmen and Manuel; siblings Victoria, Christian, and Jalen; close cousins Alex, Emily, and Rob; his partner, Mae; and many more family members.

Manny will be deeply missed and forever loved by his Trujillo, Banuelos, and Cebalt families, as well as the many friends and loved ones who were close to him.

Visitation: Friday, September 25, 2026, at Whitney & Murphy Funeral Home, 4800 E. Indian School Rd., Phoenix, from 5 - 7 p.m.

Funeral Mass: Saturday, September 26, 2026, at St. Agnes Catholic Church, 1954 N. 24th St., Phoenix, at 11 a.m., followed by a reception in the nearby church hall from 12 to 3 p.m. (When facing St. Agnes from the main road, the hall is located at the far right of the building structure.) Family and friends are welcome to join us in honoring and celebrating Manny’s life.