Douglas Martin Stanley, husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend, died on June 8th, 2020 after a brave battle with lung cancer. He was 75 years old.
Doug’s story started on his mother’s birthday (he has always maintained he was her favorite) on March 17th, 1945, in Wolcottville, Indiana. He was the 7th of 9 children.
His family moved to Phoenix in 1950, where he attended St. Agnes and then went on to graduate from St. Mary’s High School. His father owned a gas station, where he worked before there were child labor laws. Nevertheless, he learned what hard work meant and the value of a strong work ethic, which continued and served him well for the rest of his life.
He very proudly served in the Army from 1963-1966 in Germany, where he was able to see Europe and have experiences as only a young guy in the Army would.
In August of 1968 he married Mary Swingle, sister of childhood friends and daughter of his little league coach. They had three amazingly fabulous children, whom he immediately put to work with helping in his yard (post child labor laws). To say Doug was meticulous with his yard would be an understatement.
He worked for 40 years in the window, glass and door industry, witnessing tremendous growth in the Phoenix area. He made many lifelong friends throughout his career.
During his 10 years of retirement, he volunteered at the Mesa United Way; painted countless works of art; watched old episodes of Hawaii 5-0; practiced his Pig Latin; developed various recipes for salmon; and of course, tended to his yard. He also travelled extensively with Mary to Ireland, France, Hawaii, and the exotic state of Minnesota. He really liked the summers there.
His family would like to thank their dear friends and family who have offered so much love and support during this very difficult time.
Doug recognized the power of God during his illness and throughout his life. He is survived by his wife of almost 52 years, Mary, son Matt (Shelli), daughters Laura (Vince) and Amy (Dennis), grandchildren RJ, Max, Joey, Caitlin, Dominic, and Mason, and great-grandchildren Mark and Matthew.
A Rosary will be held at 4:00 pm on Sunday, June 14 at Mountain View Funeral Home, 7900 E. Main Street, Mesa, AZ 85207. Funeral Mass on Monday, June 15 at 10:00 am at St. George Catholic Church, 300 E. 16th Ave., Apache Junction, AZ 85119.
I fly a starship
Across the Universe divide
And when I reach the other side
I’ll find a place to rest my spirit if I can
Perhaps I may become a highwayman again
Or I may simply be a single drop of rain
But I will remain
And I’ll be back again, and again and again and again and again
-Highwayman – performed by Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, and Willie Nelson