He later returned to the House of Delegates in 1998, where he served until his death from a massive heart attack in 2003. The House of Delegates called him "a flamboyant character of the first magnitude" and praised his love of ceremony in their resolution honoring him after his death. Manchin was married to Stella Machel Petros and had three children. One of his sons, Mark, is Harrison County, West Virginia Superintendent of Schools. A Roman Catholic, he served as a lector at his church.