Katy Mourns Katy Cowgirl Legend Anita Mancini
- ncookclark
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KATY MAGAZINE NEWS
February 5, 2026
By Natalie Cook Clark
The Katy community will come together this weekend to honor the life of Anita Mancini, a life-long Katy servant and the longest director of the historic Katy Cowgirls.
Anita Dawn Mancini passed away January 26, 2026, after a long battle of cancer. Her life will forever be known for that of service and dedication to the Katy community and the historic Katy Cowgirls.
The Katy community will celebrate the life of Anita Mancini this Saturday, February 7, 2026, at Katy Bible Church (2500 Avenue D.) at 1:00 p.m.
Mancini is known for her strong commitment to the Katy Cowgirls and livestock show communities. She also faithfully served both the Board of Directors and the Executive Board of Directors for KCM, giving her time, wisdom, and whole heart to the mission. She took a step back from these missions when she was diagnosed with cancer.
“My mom retired as director in 2022, but not before changing countless lives along the way,” says her daughter April Mancini. “Her passion was serving God and serving others. Before every performance, she would tell her girls, ‘Ride baby ride,’ and they carried her words—and her heart—right into the arena.”
She also served on the Transportation and JRC committees at Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo for what feels like forever, giving her time and love wherever she was needed.
The community has already taken steps to honor Mancini. A scholarship has been created in her name.
The Anita Mancini Heart of the Cowgirl Scholarship was created by her family and the Katy Cowgirls to honor Anita Mancini, who devoted over 20 years as Director of the Katy Cowgirls, pouring her heart, soul, and unwavering belief into every girl she led. This scholarship carries forward her legacy of mentorship, grit, and deep love for the cowgirl spirit she helped shape for generations, ensuring her impact continues to ride on through the young women who follow in her footsteps.
This scholarship is designed for a graduating senior who have participated in the Katy Cowgirls and/or Katy High School FFA Chapter and are continuing to college.
While application details will come later, you can learn about this scholarship and make a donation online.
For Anita her greatest love was family. She wrote her on obituary and spoke of her great love for her family.
She fell in love with her daughter, April at the age of 16 and then welcomed her son, Michael at the age of 21. She was 22 when she met the true love of her live, Gary Mancini.
“They started dating when she was just 22 and married at 27,” says her daughter April. “She shared every dream she had with him, and he made them happen. He was her rock, her steady place, and her greatest blessing. Together, they built a life rooted in faith, family, and love.”
Anita loved simple joys. She loved fishing for redfish. Gigging flounder under the lights, and taking special birthday trips each year with Cathy Krauss, one of her best friends.
“Sunday family suppers were sacred to her, and I miss them more than words can say,” says April. “The table was where laughter lived, where stories were shared, and where family always came first. She also had a deep love for old cars. My baby brother Michael and her would buy them, tinker with them, enjoy them for a while, and then sell them—just so they could go find the next one. It was never about the car; it was about the time together.”
Anita believed deeply in second chances.
“There were several times when she would take someone who was going through a hard season and bring them into our home, giving them a safe place to heal, grow, and become a better version of themselves,” explains April, who says she truly lived to serve.
Anita is survived by her children, husband and 7 grandkids and 2 great-grandkids.
“Her ‘Nana babies’ were her whole world,” says April. “She always said her Nana babies were better than chocolate—and we all knew that meant something, because my goodness did my mom love her sweets.”
She had 7 Nana babies: Nick, Faith, Lane, Braden, Micah, Nolan, and Mikey. And then she was blessed with two great-Nana babies, Beckett and Wrenley, whom she fought so hard to meet.
“She even told her surgeon she was fighting to live long enough to hold them, and by the grace of God, she did,” says April.
The Katy Cowgirls was a true passion for her. The historic Katy Cowgirls are more than a mounted drill team Katy has grown to love, they raise leaders and servants dedicated to lifting up the team and the City of Katy. The group has been together for over 80 years and she was the director for over 20 years.
“We create responsible humans who earn their place in our community and the World,” said Anita Mancini to Katy Magazine when she was the director.
Anita loved being able to share her love for the Katy Cowgirls, especially with her granddaughter Faith.
Anita was instrumental in helping the Katy Cowgirls to become a non-profit organization.
“I know I’m leaving and by making the Cowgirls a non-profit it allows me to preserve the girls and protect what we’ve creating,” said Mancini before her retirement. “They will have the ability to grow.” Mancini continued to serve the group from the board until her death.
Saturday’s service is open to anyone who wishes to honor and celebrate Anita.
“I could go on and on about how phenomenal she was, but no amount of words could ever fully capture the love, faith, and light she poured into everyone around her,” says April. “At the core of everything was this simple truth: her God and her family were her whole world.”
Her family says that she wasn’t scared to die, she knew exactly where she was going and she was ready to meet Jesus.
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