5 minute read
The Mancinis: Grateful to Be in Marple
Resident Feature by Craig Whitney
Photographs courtesy of Mark Strohm Photography
The room was completely dark when Kristen Mancini woke up to the sound of baby Nina. Glancing over at the clock and seeing 3:00am, Kristen huffed as she shuffled out of bed and walked down the hall.
With each step closer to Nina’s room, Kristen’s steps got lighter and her head went from sagging down to straight up. By the time she got into the baby’s room and picked Nina up, Kristen had a bright smile on her tired face. She rocked Nina and snuggled her against her shoulder. What was once a chore is now a privilege that puts a smile on Kristen’s face because Nina is Kristen and Dean Mancini’s newly adopted daughter and could potentially be their last baby.
The Mancini Family, L to R: Noelle, Dean, Nina, Kristen, and Natalie
Photo courtesy of Mark Strohm Photography
The story doesn’t start with Nina at one year old and Kristen at three in the morning. It all really begins decades before, when Kristen and Dean Mancini were in fifth grade.
Kristen and Dean were sitting in the Manoa Elementary School Principal’s office, preparing to transfer there as 5 th graders. Their meeting that day and their mutual nervousness and bravery would be the start of their lifelong friendship.
Kristen and Dean remained friends throughout high school. As everyone in their group of friends paired off, Kristen and Dean spent all of their time together. After graduating high school, Kristen brought up the idea of potentially dating.
“At first, Dean said no,” Kristen laughed. “He wanted to protect our friendship, which was nice. But eventually I wore him down and he agreed.”
Dean was pursuing a degree in Electrical Engineering at Penn State, later transferring to Widener, while Kristen was pursuing a Communications degree at Villanova. After graduation, Dean, a budding engineer, got a job at Boeing Helicopters, where he worked on the V22 Osprey. Kristen graduated from Villanova and started working in the radio industry.
Dean and Kristen dated for eight years while they focused on starting their careers. Then they got married, at St. Dorothy’s in Drexel Hill.
In 2003, Dean took over his father’s business, TDI Technologies, which at the time focused on technical documentation. Since then, Dean has grown the business from five to 45 employees and, with all that talent, the company now also provides professional services including engineering, cybersecurity, software development and research and development projects.
“It was a challenge, but we were lucky in that we hired a team that is outstanding,” Dean raved of his employees. “Everyone in the company is like family to us. It’s been terrific.”
While Dean was growing TDI Technologies, Kristen was developing her professional skills through jobs she really enjoyed: internship at WYSP-FM, work with a voiceover/production company, and Assistant Director of the Graduate Business Program at St. Joe’s. She also worked for a few years at her brother’s insurance consulting business.
Kristen continued working full-time after their first daughter, Natalie, was born in 2007. A year later, the family found their home in Marple. But in 2009, when Kristen had their second daughter, Noelle, Kristen decided to stop working full-time and found a perfect part-time role at TDI as the Benefits Administrator. “Kristen doesn’t report to me at work,” Dean joked. “I think that’s really important for a healthy marriage.”
The Mancini Family in Veterans Park at Rotary Field in Broomall
Photo courtesy of Mark Strohm Photography
The Mancinis have lived in Marple for 11 years now, and love the community that they have become a part of.
Their daughter Natalie, now 12, is starting to pick up responsibilities around the house. “She is the little mommy of the house,” Kristen said with a smile, “and kind of an old soul.” Natalie enjoys several activities, primarily softball and basketball. When she isn’t playing sports, she also enjoys singing and dancing. She has enjoyed learning ballet, tap, jazz and hip hop.
Noelle, nine years old, is the comedian of the family. Beneath her comedic surface, Noelle also has a very sweet and sensitive heart. “She writes very heartfelt stories,” Kristen noted. “For being such a goofy funny kid, she has so much heart that comes through in her writing.” Last year, Noelle was a winner in a county writing contest. This year, she will submit another story, entitled The Day I Met Her, which shares her experiences meeting her newly adopted sister Nina. “I cried when I read it. All her teachers cried too,” Kristen shared. “Noelle’s heart is amazing.”
Dean, Noelle, Natalie, and Kristen all celebrating with little Nina on her Baptism
Photo courtesy of the Mancini family
Last year, after two long years of waiting, Kristen and Dean adopted their third daughter, Nina. They connected with the mother months before Nina’s birth, and were prepared to head up to Connecticut, where they would meet her at the hospital. Despite their best efforts, the process did not go exactly as planned.
The first unexpected twist was that Nina came early. With two hours notice, Kristen and Dean had to leave work early and find somewhere for Natalie and Noelle to stay.
The next twist came with the return trip. Because they would be crossing state lines with a child that they did not enter with, extensive paperwork was required. Before they could leave the state, their paperwork had to be reviewed and evaluated, a process that took two weeks. Their expected brief stay in Connecticut suddenly became a two-week visit. “We were stuck there. But it was good for us,” Dean explained. “It really gave us a chance to focus on Nina and bond with her before introducing her to Natalie and Noelle.”
The Mancini Family, L to R: Natalie, Kristen, Nina, Dean, and Noelle
Photo courtesy of Mark Strohm Photography
Ever since Nina has become a part of their life, gratitude has been constant around the Mancini household. They are grateful that, after a long wait, Kristen and Dean were able to welcome a third daughter into their home. Grateful that they were able to give Nina a home and a family where she can flourish. Grateful that, after believing she may never get another chance, Kristen gets to wake up at three in the morning to the sound of a baby.
For all the surprises and unexpected change that can happen in a household, the Mancinis are a thriving example of the good that can come from positivity and gratitude.
Do you know a neighbor who has a story to share? Nominate your neighbor to be featured in one of our upcoming issues! Contact us at cwhitney@bestversionmedia.com.
