Stanley Gingrich

Stanley Gingrich stepped into Heaven Friday morning, December 4th. He is survived by his wife, Jacqueline, son, Chris (wife Roni), grandchildren, Lorin, Wesley and Maddie Gingrich, and great granddaughter, Dakota. He is also survived by his brother, James (wife Cora Lynn) and sister, Sue (husband Bob) Gantz, all of Mount Joy, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his son Mark.

Stanley passed just fourteen hours after his family brought him home from the hospital to be with Jackie, his bride of 58 years, as was his final wish.

Stanley's life started out on his parent’s farm in Milton Grove, Pennsylvania with his brother, Jim, and sister, Sue. You know, you can take the kid out of the farm, but you can't take the farm out of the kid; and every year Stanley planted his garden and waited for an August thunderstorm to take down his corn crop just before harvest. He was never disappointed. Stanley enjoyed micromanaging Chris's gardening, composting, and weeding skills; not to mention overseeing "little Roni & the girls", the pet chickens he adopted from Maddie when she lost interest in their little egg production operation they ventured together. Yes, Grandpa tried his darnedest to make her a little farm girl.

As a young man, Stanley joined the Air Force and worked as an aircraft mechanic at Dover AFB in Delaware, with his one and only deployment being to MacDill AFB in sunny Florida during the Cuban Missile Crisis. When Stanley completed his four year commitment to the Air Force in 1964, he returned to Lancaster County, eventually taking a position with the federal government that brought Stanley to DESCOM at Letterkenny and the Gingrich family to Chambersburg. Stanley most memorable trip of his twenty-three year career was traveling to Egypt. The photo of Stanley's adventure riding on a camel around the great pyramids all decked out in a headdress is one of his family’s all-time faves.

Stanley retired in ‘94, which afforded he and Jackie the opportunity to travel extensively, coast to coast and back again, in their motor home with their dear, lifelong friends, Bill and Colleen Eysaman.

Stanley was always one trying to stretch his dollar and subscribed to the discipline of keeping $7 in his wallet and making a go of it. He also loved convenience, so setting up camp in Walmart parking lots as he and Jackie traveled here, there and everywhere was his go-to, not to mention the price was right. The bright lights and rumbling sound of the midnight parking lot sweeper never bothered Stanley, not one bit.

On their final trip together, Stanley and Jackie flew to Tampa, Florida to visit dear friends who are family, Jeff and Kim Anderson. Stanley especially loved going with them to the Sand Bar in Anna Maria Island where he'd down the best Grouper sandwich in the world, then head to Ebor City for a good Cuban cigar. Life was always good in Florida with the Anderson’s.

Stanley was a wonderful friend, always ready and willing to lend a hand. If you knew Stanley and you needed help — Stan was your man! Stanley moved people from house to house and city to city; could repair just about anything; coached many basketball, baseball and football teams; served as president of the Kauffman Ruritan Club; volunteered for Meals on Wheels; and was prepared with barely a moment’s notice to do pretty much anything and everything for his much loved grandkids; Lorin, Wes, and Maddie, whom he spoiled and covered for every chance he had. Chris and Roni often joked that instead of a Bat Phone the kids just needed to use the Gramps Phone. Stanley ended up taking in both his grand-dogs, Buddy and Lady, so they'd could be spoiled absolutely rotten 24/7. There wasn't anything he wouldn't do for all of them.

In September, Stanley helped celebrate his great-granddaughter Dakota's second birthday party by serving as a safe zone for Roni and her sister, Melissa, during a particularly vicious all-afternoon-long water balloon battle. Yes, Stanley laughed at the crazy hijinks and narrowly avoided being splashed and run over several times during the melee.

Chris will miss watching The Virginian every evening with his dear dad, and Roni will really miss both Stanley and Alex Trebek every evening at 7:30 during Jeopardy. Stanley’s family wonders how long it’ll take to watch either of his favorite shows without shedding a few tears.

Stanley’s family received a final gift from Stanley on Tuesday afternoon when Chris opened and reread a letter his dad had written to him some 17 years before. That letter, in part, said this, "Have a party and celebrate my passing and going to Heaven. Have a ball! Love, Dad". Yes, thankfully, we know by Stanley's own hand, and the smile his face shortly before he passed, that his suffering is over for all eternity and he is safe in the arms of his Lord and Savior. We know Stanley is having a ball himself with his son, Mark, and other beloved family members and friends that he's been missing for way too long.

Thank you to everyone who supported Stanley and our family over the past few years. Your prayers, cards, calls, flowers, visits, food, and presence was always a gift to him, and to us. Thank you Joyce Rohm for helping us bring Stanley home. You are an angel. Thank you LaVerne Little for making Stanley his special blanket. He used it till the end.

Stanley will be laid to rest at an outdoor, graveside service at Milton Grove cemetery on Thursday at 11:00. Stanley’s brother, Jim Gingrich, will be officiating.

In lieu of flowers, please do something kind for someone who needs it most, like Stanley often would, or you may support our local Meals on Wheels financially, an organization near and dear to Stanley’s heart. Their address is 43 W Washington St, Chambersburg, PA 17201.