Edward Stanley Sr

Antrim, NH Edward (Mick) Stanley Sr., 93, of Antrim, died at home on December 26, 2014 surrounded by his loving family. He was born in Cambridge, MA on May 1, 1921, the son of William Stanley and Adelaide (Jardine) Stanley. Mick was raised and schooled in Cambridge (Arlington, Lexington and Bedford), MA before moving to Concord, MA to start his family with his wife Marney (White) Stanley, who died in 1979. He moved from Concord, MA to Antrim in the 1980's, where he has resided since. Mick is survived by his children, Linda Patterson of Henniker, Judith Richardson and her husband Bill of Northfield, MA and his son Edward Stanley Jr. of Peterborough. He will be deeply missed by his 12 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren. Mick was predeceased by his daughter, Sandra Baxter in 1985 and his grandson Jeffrey Richardson in 2009. Mick was a hard-working entrepreneur who started and ran Stanley Brothers Electricians, a successful business in Concord, MA with his brother for 35 years. He was a skilled electrician, but was also known to his friends and family as a master of woodworking and being able to fix anything. He was the ultimate handyman, able to build just about anything - from his own home in which he raised his family to wooden stools for his grandchildren and his specialty: napkin-holders. He was the consummate Yankee and would spend hours, days, even weeks repairing a $10 item rather than buy a new one. His basement resembled the stockroom of a hardware store, and if he wished to begin a new project but didn't have enough space on his workbench, he simply built a new one! He was a collector of many things - items of importance to his family history, old coins, antique tools, plastic shopping bags, and office supplies. His canned good collection would rival that of almost any supermarket. Mick was what they call a "straight-shooter". He did not mince words, and had no qualms about telling it like it was. His answering machine message ended with "... and will all telemarketers please self-destruct." He was a humble veteran who served over three years in the Navy during WWII. He was stationed aboard the USS Leedstown, which was involved in several Pacific invasions including Kwajalein, Leyte Islands, and Iwo Jima. Mick's military experience may have been of great use to him during his retirement, where he found himself in constant battle with local squirrels. His attempts to outwit these creatures included concocting numerous anti-squirrel devices, his most famous being a foot pedal installed at his kitchen table which sent an electric current through the wire on which his bird feeder was hung. Mick was a man of varied tastes... he loved lobster and ham steaks, shrimp cocktail and canned hash, prime rib and Rotel. He was known for his wonderful breakfast-cooking skills and his signature "Antrim Suey" dinners. A self-taught computer user, Mick excelled (no pun intended) at creating spreadsheets. Among other things, he made lists of birthdays and databases of local businesses and their hours of operation. He also printed adhesive labels for every item imaginable. Generations to come will find his signature tags on movies he has viewed, recipes he has cooked, file folders he has opened, and boxes he has filled. Mick was always up for a road trip, a card game, an invitation to dinner, and a glass of good ol' cheap Canadian whiskey. He was a kind and generous person who went out of his way to help others. He would leave a six-pack on the front seat of a truck belonging to a crew of workers paving a road on a hot summer day. He was the type of grandfather who would help you move into a third floor apartment several states away. Mick loved to solve a problem, and would gladly spend hours pondering a dilemma and inventing a solution. He would happily drive in a snowstorm to do college student pick-ups for holiday breaks. He would attend birthday parties/awards banquets/baptisms/sporting events, and drop in for an unannounced visit on any given day because he was just "driving by". He was instrumental in the building and/or renovation of many of his children's and grandchildren's homes. Mick was quick to smile and had a big heart. He was a caring father, who instilled values, love, and tradition in each of his children and grandchildren. He will be greatly missed by many, but his love, life lessons, memories, and stories will live on in the hearts of his family. Private services were held on January 4th, 2015.

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